Switchgrass Crop Could Produce Energy

Cape May County Herald.com

By Jack Fichter

COURTHOUSE — While it has only been grown in small quantities for test purposes in this county, Switchgrass could be a crop for alternative energy with the potential to heat greenhouses or a school buildings.

Zane Helsel, a specialist in alternative energy from Rutgers University, presented a program on Switchgrass April 1 at the Cooperative Extension of Cape May County. The audience was a mix of farmers and environmentalists.Helsel said determining how well the tall, warm season grass would grow in this county was still in the preliminary stages. He said Switchgrass was a perennial, drought tolerant and could be grown on marginal land.It does not require as much nitrogen as a corn crop and is harvested once per year, said Helsel. Switchgrass grows densely and provides habitat for birds, rabbits, toads and frogs.
Read the full story