Culbertson farmers react to loss of oilseed plant

Here is excerpts from an article that tells some of the community and personal loss associated with the closing of the sustainable seed-crushing plant.
**********

The Billings Gazette
CULBERTSON, Mont. (AP) Apr 29 2009 7:15AM
Sometime this week, state agriculture officials will begin selling off the assets of the seed-crushing facility that has helped keep this small community going for more than 50 years.

They'll sell whatever culinary vegetable oil remains at the Montola plant that ceased operations several weeks ago. They'll sell whatever seed they can find in the facility's massive galvanized metal bins and give whatever profits they muster to the safflower farmers who delivered $1.2 million in seed to the facility last fall, but never got paid.

Oelkers said as many as 28 people have worked at the facility in the recent past. Last week it became clear the company had been struggling for some time.

The Agriculture Department announced it would sell the company's oil and stored seed. De Yong said the state had filed a petition for liquidation and notified Sustainable Systems' bondholder.

Sustainable Systems has not responded to several messages from The Billings Gazette left for CEO Paul T. Miller over several days.

A woman working at the Montola plant said she had been instructed not to talk to the media.

Those familiar with the number of farmers who went unpaid say the $1.2 million owed to growers who delivered crops to the crushing plant is only a fraction of what's due and that the community is still tallying its losses.

"I'm not going to sit here and bad mouth Paul. Paul was very good to me. I admire guys like that who take risks. I'd be scared to death to jump into water that deep," said Timm, who took a pretty deep plunge when he bought the special tank for his truck.

The tanks cost $90,000 new.

Sustainable Systems was 100 miles down the road. The next closest buyer is in Fargo, N.D., 540 miles.

SEE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:
http://www.kxmc.com/News/368294.asp

Good Luck,
SkunK