www.meadowfoam.com

The Oregon Meadowfoam Growers Association (OMGA) formed in 1984 to establish Meadowfoam as a commercial crop. They began as a nonprofit corporation with 24 grass seed growers. In 1997, OMGA split into two organizations - OMG and Natural Plant Products. Today there are 96 growers in the alliance, which provides opportunities for growers to share resources and marketing opportunities and to reduce risks associated with forming new business ventures.

OMG Meadowfoam Oil Seed Growers handles the production, varietal research and commercial development of Meadowfoam. A win-win situation, OMG has access to sources of capital not traditionally available to cooperatives. This model is designed for the farmer, to retain a fair share of the added value. Their goal is to provide opportunities to position themselves to be competitive in sharing reasonable market margins. Historically, farmers have had little or no competitive position in pricing and marketing their product and usually unable to benefit from value-added activities after the crop has left the farm.

Forming strategic alliances and developing a marketplace for Meadowfoam is all part of the plan for Jerry Hatteberg, CEO of OMG and Natural Plant Products, Inc. NPP handles the extraction, refining and marketing of the oil and its by-products. They maintain a dedicated quality control program and strive to insure a high-quality, reliable source for this premium raw material. Like many agricultural commodities, Meadowfoam went through the cycle of over production before a stable market was developed. Commercial production was halted in 1999, but with more markets being developed, it is estimated that farmers will plant between 2,000 - 4,000 acres this fall.

Meadowfoam has many benefits for local growers. With field burning being phased out in the 1980's, Willamette Valley grass seed farmers have been using Meadowfoam as a rotation crop which is also beneficial to the health of the soil. Meadowfoam deters grass seed pests and diseases (geese and deer don't even bother it), and helps preserve the integrity of local streams, rivers and aquifers by requiring less fertilizer and pesticides than other crops. Only minimal modification is needed for equipment used in grass production. The use of Meadowfoam as a rotation crop also will potentially reduce the overproduction of grass seed and stabilize the market value annually.

Meadowfoam has a very strong market potential. Extremely lightweight, but very emollient, Meadowfoam seed oil is a unique high-quality, natural moisturizer. It is highly prized by the cosmetic industry including Revlon and Aveda and is used in products such as hair styling products, body lotions and lipsticks. Its long shelf life makes it an excellent base.

Meadowfoam unique oil structure, containing 97% long chain fatty acids, makes it very stable and suitable for a variety of uses. Products made from the oil are environmentally safe because they are biodegradable. An industrial lubricant is also being studied by the National Park Service and the military for use in environmentally sensitive areas.

The value of Meadowfoam isn't confined to the oil. One of the by-products of the crushed crop includes the meal, which increases seedling growth rates in ornamental and vegetable crops and is marked as a potential tool for use in timber nurseries. The forest products industry has demonstrated an increased interest in the meal as an environmentally safe product. Other applications include lubricants, plastics and pharmaceutical products - demand is rising rapidly. Scientists at OSU, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and other botanical and chemical laboratories are researching new ways to use this phenomenal oil and meal to enhance our daily lives.

Since a stable market for the product has been developed and crops from the initial over production have been sold, more money is available for research and development. Look for good things to happen in the future for Meadowfoam, an exclusive product from the Willamette Valley.