First Hand Look: Chester River Association Promotes Switchgrass with Webinars

In keeping with their mission to promote stewardship of the Chester River through healthy farming practices, the Chester River Association (CRA) recently hosted a webinar on the benefits of  switchgrass as an agricultural option for farmers.

Bob Parks, executive director of the CRA from 2005 – 2011 and currently their energy consultant, opened the webinar, saying that, “The best use of land is agriculture, not development,” adding, “healthy farms equal a healthy Chester River.”

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) is a perennial, warm season grass native to the majority of the Eastern seaboard. It is drought and salt tolerant, needs relatively little fertilizer, does well in shallow, wet as well as deep soils. Its  long roots  improve soil quality and water quality. The seven to eight foot tall grass is an asset to wildlife, affording better nesting and winter cover. It is recommended for marginal, not productive land; such as wet, low lying areas or highly erosive ones.

Virgil Turner, who spent 47 years with state and federal agencies as a conservation planner and now works part-time for CRA told the audience that there are currently about 600 acres of switchgrass in 45 locations in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. The seed is planted in mid May to mid June using a no till process, takes about 5 years to reach full productivity, and will produce for more than 20 years. It is generally cut once a year; harvested and baled like hay.

There are three major markets:  biofuel,  mushroom  compost, (growers chop the bales up, and add nitrogen), and chicken house bedding, (better for the chicken’s feet than wood shavings—apparently there is a huge Asian market for chicken feet). Paul Spies, also a conservation planner with the CRA, told farmers that mushroom growers in SE Pennsylvania would like to see 4,000 acres of switchgrass, and that one large Delmarva poultry farmer has, “signed on for bedding.”  Spies believes that the market for biofuel may be 5 to 10 years in the future, and that it is currently not a great economic option. Using a profit calculator based on 2011 statewide median numbers from the University of Maryland Extension office, Spies showed that farmers can make a profit by the second year using nutrient credits, and consistent profits of $650 – $790 per acre from year five on for at least ten or fifteen years. Spies cautioned that the numbers did not include transportation costs. He also said that new poultry regulations may encourage poultry farmers to grow switchgrass themselves.

Nutrient trading was established in Maryland in 2008. Conservation practices such as cover crops, reduced fertilizer use, buffers, and fencing are eligible for credit. Dana York 30-year veteran of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, discussed various eligibility requirements, how to calculate potential credits and sell them.  A farmer could conceivably sell his switchgrass to one buyer and his nutrient credits to a point source (eg. sewage treatment plant) or another non-point-source (eg. farmer). York opined  that agricultural offsets may be the answer to meet target load reductions of nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment, as part of the Bay TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load).

Approximately  80 participants assembled for the webinar, and although CRA Executive Director Heather Forsyth said a number were media and agency staff members, there is obviously interest in the farming community for use of the grass. The takeaway was that switchgrass is a win-win situation for the Eastern Shore farmers and residents; switchgrass puts money in the farmers’ pockets from land previously deemed unproductive, requires less energy to plant than corn, uses traditional hay equipment to harvest, produces for more than 20 years, and promotes a healthier soil and thus a healthier watershed. Is there an argument against growing the grass? We welcome comments.