What is canola?

Canola is a strain of the rapeseed plant bred to have low contents of erucic acid.

The name is an acronym for “Canadian oil, low content,” which is also a reference to where the plant was first bred.

Canada remains a leading producer of canola.

The changes have made the plant easier to grow and easier to digest than rapeseed, which is a member of the same family of plants as mustard and broccoli.

For each gallon of oil, 23 pounds of canola seed are needed.

Crop yields vary greatly depending on seed strain and rainfall, but a typical acre of canola plants will produce enough oil for 65 gallons of biodiesel.