Sunflowers a sustainable business at Wisconsin university

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — For two summers, a visible sunflower patch along a business park off Highway 151 became a popular destination for pictures.

What many in the photos probably didn't know was that the sunflowers that are in their wedding or Facebook photos also might have been on their popcorn.

A sunflower project at UW-Platteville is preparing to bottle its second batch of organic food-grade oil, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. The oil, however, is just the end product of a project that has sustainability, marketing, energy and even engineering at its heart. It also gives the university a chance to live up to its ?nickname?.

"It takes us back to our roots, to being a pioneer, to being more self-sufficient," said Tim Zauche, a professor of chemistry and renewable energy at UW-Platteville, ?known as the Pioneers.

"What would it take for us to be more self-sufficient? That's part of what this is all about. And what would it be like for our plate to be locally grown or within only 500 miles? That's the discussion we have with our students."

The project this year will turn about 10,000 pounds of sunflower seeds into cold-pressed organic sunflower oil. As part of the project, there have been retail sales of sunflower oil as well as food events in Platteville that have featured dishes made with it.

"People know about sunflowers," Zauche said. "It's just that wrapping your head around the oil is a little mind-boggling. I don't think most people think about how oil is made, ever, that it comes from nuts or seeds."

Sunflower oil is often compared to olive oil, low in saturated fats (the bad kind) and high in unsaturated fats (the good kind). It has a nutty taste and can be used in cooking and frying, for dips