Canola’s rise on the High Plains

Steven Kilger: Hello, my name is Steven Kilger. I’m the managing editor of Feed & Grain Magazine and the host of the Feed & Grain Podcast. Thank you for joining me today as we dive deep into the issues affecting the feed manufacturing, grain handling and allied industries.

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Today, my guest is Jeff Frazier, marketing development manager for Scoular at their Goodland Crush Facility in northwest Kansas.

Kilger: Jeff is helping drive an impressive expansion of canola production in the High Plains region, where acreage has grown from 15,000 to nearly 50,000 acres across Kansas and Oklahoma in just three years. We discuss how improved seed genetics, weather resilience, and strong market demand for renewable diesel are making canola a profitable alternative to traditional winter wheat rotations.

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Now, on to the show.

Hi, Jeff. Thanks so much for joining me today. I really appreciate it.

Jeff Frazier: Thank you, Steven. Appreciate you having me.

Kilger: Happy to. Scoular came out with a press release about the canola harvest down in Kansas, which is, I will admit, a crop I didn’t know grew very much in Kansas. It seems like that’s a relatively new thing. But before we get into all of that, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell me what you do at Scoular?

Frazier: Yeah, again, my name is Jeff Frazier. I’m the market development manager for Scoular at the Goodland Crush Facility. The crush facility is located just a few miles west of Goodland, Kansas, in the northwest part of the state. I was born and raised in the Wichita, Kansas area, so I’m very familiar with South Central Kansas as well as North Central and West Central Oklahoma.

I began my career in risk management through crop insurance and brokerage, which led me to my current role as we help redevelop canola acreage in the High Plains. My role at Scoular is really centered around building long-term opportunities for growers while helping connect agriculture to emerging demand markets. A big part of that focus is developing canola acres throughout Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and even parts of northeastern Colorado, and creating reliable market access for growers through our facility in Goodland.

Kilger: Yeah, well, you guys have already expanded. The press release said acreage grew from 15,000 to almost 50,000 acres in Kansas and Oklahoma over the last three years, which is really impressive. And it seems like this year is a good year to prove its viability as a crop for this region. Can you tell me a little bit about why you’re driving that expansion?

Frazier: Yeah, there are several factors converging all at once. From the grower’s perspective, first and foremost, it’s profitability. Growers see that canola competes very favorably in traditional winter crop rotations from a revenue standpoint, also improving farm economics through rotational benefits.

Second is market certainty. Historically, growers hesitated because they weren’t sure if there would be a local, stable buyer. With the Goodland facility providing dedicated crush demand, farmers now have clear delivery points and long-term market structure. That changes the conversation.

Also, rapid improvement in genetics. The canola today is definitely not the canola producers may remember from earlier experiences. Seed companies have made tremendous advancements in winter hardiness, stand establishment, drought tolerance, and especially pod shatter tolerance. Even with this year’s weather extremes, temperature swings, wind, drought stress, and freeze events, growers are seeing surprisingly minimal impacts compared to older varieties. That’s built a lot of confidence.

Kilger: They mentioned harvest will be a little early this year because of various weather factors. Weather has been really weird across the U.S. this year, and it seems like that will continue with this giant El Niño forming in the Pacific. Can you tell me what’s happening specifically in your region weather-wise and why it’s pushing harvest earlier than expected?

Frazier: Absolutely. The joke around the High Plains is, if you don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes,it’s going to change. This year, we saw a combination of incredibly warm spring temperatures early on with accelerated heat accumulation, followed just days later by lower-than-normal moisture and freeze events. Those conditions sped up crop maturity across Kansas and Oklahoma.

The interesting thing is, despite the stressful weather, the crop held together remarkably well. In past years, extreme conditions could have caused major winter kill or significant pod shatter. But to give credit to the newer genetics, the crop handled those stresses much better than expected.

Throughout the High Plains, growers report canola yields far exceeding wheat yields this year. That’s a big story: the resilience of modern canola even under volatile weather. Stable stands, strong pod retention, and earlier harvest timing create operational advantages. Harvesting earlier also opens up flexibility for double cropping, easing workload management and providing earlier cash flow.

Kilger: Compared to wheat, that’s a huge difference. I’ve seen numbers from the region showing wheat yields about 50% less than planned due to weather. That reliability is a big advantage, especially with ongoing weather volatility. You said seed genetics made this possible. What traits are coming out? What are people planting in your area?

Frazier: The timing is great. I just drove a couple thousand miles last week and attended about 10 grower meetings with seed partners. The advancements have been enormous. Many producers remember older canola concerns like winter survival, stand loss, and pod shatter. The industry has made major strides in all these areas.

To me, winter hardiness is the biggest improvement. Today’s genetics are better equipped to withstand rapid temperature swings and harsh winters. This year really tested those advancements. Within a four- or five-day window, many areas broke both high and low temperature records. Not all fields came through unscathed, but even wheat, known for its resilience, had minimal winter injury.

Pod shatter tolerance is another major breakthrough. Historically, growers saw pod shatter as a bigger challenge than winter kill. High winds or delayed harvest caused significant losses. Newer varieties are far more durable, offering a wider harvest window and reducing risk substantially.

On the grower side, farmers are also getting more refined recommendations on fertility, planting timing, residue management, and disease control. Producers now understand how canola fits into wheat rotations, breaking pest cycles and improving soil health and moisture use throughout the season.

Kilger: I always say we have the best ag technology in the world. Despite pushback against genetics and new crops, this is how we maintain harvests year after year despite conditions that 50 years ago would have devastated regions.

For you at Scoular, you also have your crush facility in Goodland, which is a ready market for growers. It looks like it can support up to 400,000 acres, so there’s plenty of room for growth in the region.

Frazier: The opportunity ahead is enormous. The demand infrastructure is already in place. Now it’s about growing grower competence and acreage adoption. Education and firsthand success stories are key. When producers see neighbors successfully growing canola with strong yields and profits, adoption accelerates quickly.

We need to collaborate across the industry, seed companies, agronomists, elevators, processors, support expansion. Fortunately, that collaboration is stronger today than in the past.

Many growers already have the equipment and management skills needed to succeed with canola. Once they see how much genetics and agronomic support have improved, hesitation drops quickly. Profitability will continue to drive acres. As growers see strong returns, along with rotational benefits and earlier harvest timing, acreage growth will accelerate.

Kilger: It seems like a no-brainer. Things always move slow at first, then it’s a domino effect and everyone’s planting it.

You mentioned the renewable fuel standard and how that translates to opportunities for canola and crush facilities like yours in Goodland. Can you explain how you see that market advancing?

Frazier: Absolutely. The renewable diesel industry is creating tremendous demand for low-carbon intensity feedstocks. Canola is exceptionally well positioned to benefit.

Canola oil has become one of the most desirable feedstocks because of its fuel characteristics and sustainability profile. As renewable diesel capacity expands across North America, crushers and biofuel producers need more supply, and that demand flows directly back to growers.

What’s important is this isn’t just a short-term trend. We’re seeing structural demand growth tied to long-term energy policy, which builds confidence for acreage expansion.

There’s also growing opportunity around carbon intensity programs and sustainability incentives. Farmers who adopt practices reducing carbon intensity may gain additional value streams in the future. That’s exciting potential.

Growers benefit not only from crop profitability but also from being tied to new renewable fuel markets. At the farm level, producers see canola as both an agronomic win and a market-driven profitability opportunity.

Kilger: When you hear biodiesel, you often think soybeans. But there are many other crops that can go into these fuels, helping regions avoid mono-crop dependency.

Frazier: Some regions chase profits, but it’s great that Scoular is stepping forward with the facility and support to help growers get into canola.

Kilger: When you talk to a producer on the fence, what are your go-to sales points? How do you get them over the 10-yard line?

Frazier: That’s a great question. The beauty of our program is that it’s an education effort, not a hard sell. We want to put growers in the best position to make decisions that fit their operation.

Some discussions are tough. We want 400,000-plus acres of canola to feed this facility, but if it’s not the best option for a grower, we’re honest about that. We want organic growth.

If we have a tough year, we want it to be because of weather, not because growers felt pushed. We want growers to feel supported along the way.

Right now, canola is one of the few crops penciling a good return. We’re still early in the process. We have crushing capacity, market demand, and improved genetics. Now it’s about scaling production to meet what we believe is a long-term growth opportunity for the region.

Kilger: I think there’s a false narrative that grain elevators, feed mills, and crushing facilities are against producers. But in reality, we all succeed together. We need each other.

It’s good to see companies putting forward that effort. Thanks so much for coming on and talking about this. It’s really interesting what you’re doing. I hope you come back when you hit 400,000 acres.

Frazier: I hope to be back. We’re excited to see the growth and look forward to future success.

Kilger: Also, side note, beautiful crop. I love putting pictures of it in articles. Those yellow fields, what’s not to love?

Frazier: Yep. I have a nine-year-old girl I call my mini crop scout or agronomist. We get busy doing road trips out in the country taking as many photos as we can.

Kilger: I’m sure that’s fun. Well, Jeff, thanks so much for being on. I appreciate it. Hope you come back soon.

Frazier: Appreciate you having me. Looking forward to continued success and being back in the future.

Kilger: Yeah, no problem. Thanks for having you. And for everyone listening, until next time, stay safe.