Camelina, an eco-responsible and certified GMO-free crop

Sowing in an innovative and natural way

Several actions are taken to minimize our environmental footprint, including minimum tillage. Every time the soil is worked and turned, greenhouse gases are naturally released from the soil. Thus, minimizing tillage reduces greenhouse gas emissions: we sow on frozen soil, without it being reworked, and even on the mulch left on the soil from the previous crop. This way of doing things does not disturb the microbial life and insects in the soil. In other words, the houses and canals built by soil insects are not destroyed, which helps to keep life active in the soil and biodiversity by the same token. We work with the forces of nature by sowing early and intervening as little as possible in the maturation process of the camelina plant. This earliness in the spring allows us to have flowering fields in June, to feed the bees that we integrate into our culture, by improving the pollination of our fields. Working with respect for nature is a source of pride.

A positive environmental footprint

Since 2015, our fields have been monitored by agronomists to observe the positive impacts of camelina on our soils. This allowed us to observe that camelina is not attacked by insect pests and therefore does not require any treatment.

 A 99% reduction in the number of wireworms was also observed in the years following camelina in the soil. This worm is known to damage crops by attacking seeds in the soil and is the origin of seed dressing application. It is a technique widely used by seed companies and also very controversial in relation to its negative impact on the reduction of bees. We observe that camelina seems to naturally and drastically reduce the number of wireworms so feared by farmers and at the origin of a major controversy over the survival of bees.

At Olimega, we do not use any seed coating. In addition, camelina could be a solution to improve the fate of pollinating insects. We want to increase our areas and multiply this beneficial effect of camelina on our environment.

A plant dedicated to camelina: energy-responsible construction

Our processing plant is equipped with a wall of solar panels with an air chamber heated by solar energy. This is an innovative initiative that saves 23 tons of greenhouse gases each year, which is the equivalent of 10 cars withdrawn from the market. An innovative design made by Enerprox inc. a Quebec company. Another Olimega pride!

Our sales manager travels all over Quebec in an electric car. We have also had a charging station for electric cars installed on the front of our factory.

We recycle our residues so as not to have waste in the environment and have no waste water.