Sustainable Farming In Vermont

NORTH BENNINGTON, VERMONT - DECEMBER 14: John Williamson monitors pellets from a seed crushing machine making flaxseed oil December 14, 2012 on his 200-acre organic farm in North Bennington, Vermont. Williamson's third-generation family farm sold off their dairy cattle and now run the farm as a pilot project for oil seeds to produce biodiesel and seed oils in a sustainable manner. Williamson had over 40-acres of his fields planted with sunflowers to crush for sunflower oil. He also experiments with sorghum, canola, mustard and saffron. Williamson's project has received grants from the University of Vermont for machinery for distilling biodiesel that he offers to farmers that have contributed seeds to his oil seed crusher and distillery. The by-product of the oil seed process also has value as animal feed stock. Williamson's farm is prioritizing not only total yield of the oil seed crops but the inputs necessary to economically grow, harvest and process the crops. (Photo by Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)