Staunton Green 2020

Taylor Cole is the man who can tell you, directly, what it’s like to grow switchgrass. Plus, he can share observation about the market potential for selling switchgrass. He’s such a believer he started Conservation Partners LLC.

He was kind enough to share his slides from this week’s “Switching to Grass and Fueling Staunton and Augusta” event.  For your convenience, there are notes below:

Slides 1-7 – Photos of Cole’s property where he grows switchgrass. He’s had the stand since 1999.

Slide 8-11 – Switchgrass can be harvested with farm equipment many farmers already own. It’s rolled into bales like hay.

Slide 12 – The main maintenance required is a controlled burn every few years.

Slide 13 – Mr. Cole in front of a switchgrass bale.

Slide 14 – Three current switchgrass projects that could be used for inspiration – one in Iowa, one in Texas – and one here in Virginia.

Slides 15-19 – You can burn switchgrass in conventional, coal burning furnaces. For example, here in Virginia, the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital is using switchgrass to heat the hospital.

Slides 20-21 – The need — for 10,000 tons of boiler-ready WSG (warm season grasses) to use as fuel – must be accomplished by collecting grasses nearby… which means there’s plenty of opportunity.

Slide 22 – Converting land into productive switchgrass is great for the wildlife and environment. But growing switchgrass can also keep more farm land from being lost.

Slide 23-25 – Growing switchgrass can provide ample fuel.

Remaining slides show photos and maps.

For your enjoyment, we’re doing a brief re-cap on this week’s switchgrass event. Our guests were kind enough to share their presentation slides.

Bobby Whitescarver, District Conservationist from Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation kicked things off with this presentation. In it,

Slides 4-7 – you’ll see photos of switchgrass, a warm season grass (wsg), grown on local farms.

Slide 8 – switchgrass being burned and used as a heat source

Slide 9 – here, heating a chicken coop

Slide 10 – This 60-foot border will be planted with switchgrass for wildlife benefits. (For quail and other endangered Virginia birds.)

Slide 11 – Indian grass (native and beautiful)

Slide 12 – A controlled burn – used every few years to reinvigorate switchgrass production.

What stands out for you from his presentation?

A big thanks to our panel – and all the attendees – for coming out to the SG2020 event, “Switching to Grass in Staunton and Augusta County” last night.

Please comment here if you have questions you’d like to pass along to our panel of experts, and, what you thought.

We’re planning more events that capture the Staunton Green 2020 mission to build community partnerships that through education, research and collaboration:

~ Reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions

~ Increase renewable energy

~ Generate Green jobs

~ Preserve green space

~ Facilitate sustainable community development

Also, thanks to Mary Baldwin College for hosting. See you at our next event:

Dirt, The Movie
Thur. Mar. 18 @ 7pm

• Mockingbird Restaurant – Downtown Staunton (doors open at 5:30pm for delicious dinner)
• A free, fast-paced film about the threatened life sustaining soil on which we depend
• Co-sponsored by Transition Staunton Augusta & Valley Conservation Council

Switching to Grass and Fueling Staunton and Augusta County

Tue. Mar. 9 – 7pm @ Francis Auditorium (in the Pearce Science Center)
On the campus of Mary Baldwin College (corner of Coalter & Frederick Streets)
#14 on this map: http://www.mbc.edu/docs/admin_docs/campusmap.pdf

Growing switchgrass in Augusta County and burning it as a clean, local and profitable fuel source for boilers and furnaces. Featuring:

* Taylor Cole – President, Conservation Partners, LLC & Warm Season Grass grower

* Ken Convery – Biologist/Project Manager, Conservation Management Institute, VA Tech

* Dale Reeves – Local Farmer using switchgrass for poultry house bedding

* Robert Whitescarver – District Conservationist, Natural Resources Conservation Service

LOCATION:
Mary Baldwin College – Francis Auditorium
(corner of Coalter and Frederick Streets)

Hi there Staunton Green 2020 friend,

This snowy and cold winter has us thinking spring and we have some great upcoming events up to welcome some less frosty weather:

~ Switching to Grass and Fueling Staunton: Tue. Mar. 9 @ 7pm in Francis Auditorium on the Mary Baldwin College campus (corner of Coalter and Frederick Streets)

Get inspired by a panel of experts on growing switchgrass and burning it as a local, clean and green fuel source.

~ Dirt, the Movie: Thur. Mar. 18 @ 7pm (doors open at 5:30pm for yummy dinner) at the Mockingbird Restaurant (co-sponsored with Transition Staunton Augusta)

Dinner and a free, fast-paced movie about something we entirely take for granted. Check out the trailer.

Wild Virginia Film Festival: Thur. Mar. 25 @ 7pm at the Visulite. More info.

April still comes on the heels of March and there’s much more…

~ Apr. 15 Fresh, the movie at the Mockingbird
~ Apr. 17 Earth Day in the Sunspots parking lot, downtown Staunton
~ Apr. 21 Converting your Front Lawn to Native Grass at City Hall

Looking forward to seeing you at these events,

steve grande and the Staunton Green 2020 Steering Committee

…and by “grass” we mean exactly that: the green vegetation in your yard right now that is a hassle to maintain. Wouldn’t it be better if your grassy yard actually did more to benefit the environment?

It can, and, SG2020 will be exploring the issue in depth starting this January. As you may know, switchgrass is an alternative fuel source that can grow right here.

We’d like you to be involved. Send us your thoughts and ideas for this series of events.

• What would you like to know about switchgrass?
• Do you have suggestions about public or private places in Staunton to grow it?
• Would you be willing to allow us to replant your yard next Spring as an example?
• What other topics would be of interest for us to explore together?

Drop us an email (stauntongreen2020 ~at~ gmail.com) or leave a comment here or at Facebook.

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