"There is no doubt about it, biodiesel is the fuel of the future." This was the view expressed by Yellow Grass farmer Ron Wilke, who was one of 20 participants taking a Canadian International Grains Institute training course on biodiesel offered at the Weyburn Inn for three days last week.

The Canadian International Grants Institute (CIGI) is a not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Winnipeg whose primary goal "is to teach people around the world how to use Canadian grains so that they are used effectively and efficiently," said Director of Feed, Dr. Rex Newkirk.

Of the training courses that CIGI offers, the most recent addition was a biodiesel trailer that is able to travel to rural communities across the world to teach about the biofuel process. Biodiesel is a processed fuel derived from biological sources which can be used in unmodified diesel-engine vehicles.

"We look at biodiesel as an emerging potential for Canadian grain growers," said Newkirk. This training course is still new to CIGI as the trailer had its grand opening on Mar. 23 and the course that took place here in Weyburn was only the third course done so far.

The biodiesel trailer was funded 75 per cent by the Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council, with the rest being funded by CIGI. The biodiesel training courses are partly supported by Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) through funding for textbooks and the rest is covered by tuition costs.

The three-day course took farmers, businessmen and interested clientele from Saskatchewan and other provinces through the steps of processing biodiesel, right from seed to fuel. As diesel engines have certain fuel requirements, as well as safety considerations with the chemistry involved in creating biodiesel, the lectures and hands-on labs were led by Dave Clements, who is a consultant for the Renewable Products Development Laboratories Inc.

Clements and Newkirk used lectures and labs to walk the students through the process of creating biodiesel, starting with extraction of oil from the seed with a screw press. Participants learned how to filter the oil, add methanol and a catalyst to mix and settle into a crude biodiesel, how to evaporate off the remaining methanol and then wash the crude biodiesel with soft water to then dry into a useable biofuel.

"There is a massive amount of knowledge to learn how to make biodiesel; it was a lot to absorb but I found it all very interesting," said Wilke.

While there were a lot of farmers attending the course who wanted to learn how to process biodiesel for their own farm machinery, there were also consultants interested in the business aspect of the course.

There was a representative from the Southeast Regional College, Trent Jordens, as the college has an interest in the future training possibilities of the biodiesel market. "We would like to be able to link to training for future entrepreneurs through the college."

"It is important to get involved right at the start, at the infancy of the business," said Jordens. "That way the college can help make the proper connections for the independent farmer so they can access the professional advice and necessary material they will need for this new and growing business."

There were other business-related groups interested in the training course beside Southeast Regional College, traveling far to Weyburn to participate in this valuable course.

"We came to the course to gain a better understanding of biodiesel production and economics as biodiesel will have a huge impact on our industry," said Carrie James, representing the Ontario Canola Growers Association. "I found the course to be very beneficial in helping me attain a much better understanding of the chemical process, economics, and environmental impacts of biodiesel."

"I enjoyed the hands-on aspect of the course and the physical demonstration of biodiesel production," said James. "I was also very impressed with the instructor's level of expertise and the width of information covered."

The biodiesel trailer will be moving on to Alberta next in continuing the training offered by CIGI, leaving behind a legacy of knowledge of biodiesel, the fuel of the future, in the hands of the participants of the course, so that they could pass on their knowledge to other people in the area. Visit the CIGI website at www.cigi.ca for more information.