Smiths market camelina oil from their Lamberton farm

_{By Joshua Dixon
Staff Writer
Posted Jun. 27, 2013 @ 12:01 am}

“Fifteen years ago, no one around here knew what camelina oil was. We’re hoping we’re ahead of the curve,” said Kathleen Smith of Lamberton.

Smith, along with her husband Justin and parents, grows and manufactures Omega Maiden camelina oil, now available in almost 20 Minnesota stores.

Kathleen, a Lamberton native, met Justin at a Colorado College. In 2008, they spent a year in the West African country of Niger, serving in the Peace Corps.

When their service was up, they moved to Lamberton “because I appreciated coming from a tight-knit ag community,” said Kathleen.

“My family has an organic farm, and has been part of the local foods movement,” Kathleen said.

“My dad, Phil Batalden, has been farming his whole life, and always looking at alternative or specialty crops. We wanted to see if we could do more with what we already had.”

Research showed there are several farms in northern Minnesota that grow camelina, a part of the mustard family. Camelina grows well without the use of intensive tiling practices, irrigation, or fertilizers and pesticides.

Although relatively unknown in the United States, it has been part of European diets for thousands of years.  Click HERE to read the full article!