A type of mustard is taking off as a potential source of jet fuel. Camelina is a member of the mustard family and a distant relative to canola.
It's the focus of a USDA project. Farmers in 16 California counties may apply to grow Camelina through the USDA biomass crop assistance program. They include Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, and Tulare counties.
The USDA says up to 25,000 acres of Camelina oilseed could be grown in the state. It will be processed into jet fuel at a facility in Bakersfield.
The application deadline is September 16.
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California leads the nation in the farmers market movement. The U.S. Ag Department says more than 1,000 new markets have opened across the country this year, including 149 in California.
In all, California hosts 729 farmers markets, the most in the country. Officials call the markets a critical ingredient in the nation's food supply.
Thursday night two farmers' markets take place in the Valley. They are at the Madera County Courthouse and at the Swedish Village in Kinsgburg.
