Mustard Niche

In some places mustard is considered a weed, but around Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan, Canada it is grown as a cash crop. Kirk Clements, head of ED for the town of 1,200 pointed out, “Saskatchewan itself exports 80 per cent of the world’s requirements of imported mustard. But, we don’t do anything with it. We bag it and send it away.”

No more. The town is helping to develop “The Mustard Project” as a way to value-add and diversify its production. Besides milling and crushing the product plans are to turn the oil into biodiesel. But Clements added, “The big sizzle is the biodiesel aspect of it, but that’s only 20 per cent of the project.”

I’m continuing to see more value added and niche production throughout the USA and now in Canada. It is a trend that is going to grow and is one way to help revitalize small towns.

What are you doing to find your niche?