The Northeast. For many decades the Northeastern US has been officially labeled as the “Hay & Pasture” Region of the country. Like much of Europe, the temperate humid climate is not so hot for corn, but perfect for grass.

All grass species and mixtures. Legumes may not work quite as well but also may be acceptable. Grass crop selection should match the soil type, for maximum sustainability and productivity.

Not much. One “Proof of Concept” demonstration of a pelleting unit providing fuel for local clientele with stoves capable of burning grass might be all the jump start required.

Grass has no political lobby. A grass roots effort is not enough. (Washington State has funded a project to burn bluegrass stubble in a downdraft gasifier).

Washington State Dept. of Water and Energy is funding a downdraft gasifier to test the feasibility of this system for converting bluegrass stubble/straw into electricity and liquid fuel. After harvest of bluegrass seed in the Northwest, the remaining residue was burned in the field in the past. As it is no longer acceptable to burn fields, removal of residue as a bioenergy source solves the residue problem.

As with coal or wood stoves, and wood pellet stoves, routine maintenance is required. Pellet handling and ash removal make this less convenient than fossil fuels. There are some emissions as is the case with burning anything, but nothing like the wood stoves of the past.

No. Mixed grass stands cut once a year with regrowth left in the field to provide soil organic matter as well as wildlife cover should persist indefinitely. A shift in species composition or an increase in weed population is not of great consequence; all have similar BTU/lb. Of course, higher yields will be obtained with some form of nitrogen fertilizer application. Animal manures or other such land-applied waste products are well suited for this purpose.

Almost none. The necessary equipment is generally available on the farm. Planting an improved species is an option, but the current species in a mixed meadow will work. Harvest in mid to late summer can be accomplished at off-peak labor times.

No company is doing this, but several are attempting to modify their stoves to better manage high ash fuels.

Most likely not. Average pellet stoves with a standard burn pot are not designed to cope with high ash content. In general, corn stoves will have more potential to handle grass pellets because they are designed to deal with a somewhat messy residue. This is no guarantee that corn stoves will burn grass, corn stoves sometimes have difficulty dealing with corn.

Not yet. The major advantage of boilers over stoves is that they provide hot water and central hot water heating. Commercially available pellet boilers are designed to burn wood pellets and possibly corn pellets. They have no means of dealing with high ash content. They can successfully burn grass pellets, but will generate a large clinker that would need to be removed from the burn chamber every 6 hours or so, in order for the boiler to continue functioning.

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At the current time, the Harman corn stove appears capable of handling grass pellets at least up to 5.2% ash content, without any modifications to the stove.

Routine (weekly) maintenance is recommended for burning any type of pelleted material (including wood pellets) in any pellet stove. Aside from dumping ash at necessary intervals, the heat exchanger and burn pot area will need cleaning at least once a week. The flue pipes should be inspected for buildup at regular intervals.

Under high fertility, some of the newer varieties of Bermuda have the potential to produce above 6 tons of forage when high rates of nitrogen are applied on deep, moderately drained soils. With no fertility, on average, we expect 1 ton of production/year on Bermuda grass pastures. With the rainfall we receive in S.E. Oklahoma, 3 to 4 tons/ac is easy to accomplish under the proper soil fertility practices.

It would be best if you measured each of you pastures yourself. Your county extension educator can provide you with instructions on how it is done. You can also go to your local N.R.C.S. office and find your pasture in the county soil survey. After determining what soil type the pasture is, you can then find the table that list average yields for native grass for that soil type.

For pellets up to 5mg we recommend using one of our precision trochars. Detailed instructions for implantation using the trochar or for pellets larger than 5mg can be found on our website, click here. Also, if you are implanting both placebo pellets and pellets containing the active product concurrently and you are using a trochar, implant the placebos first to avoid any residual active product contaminating the placebo pellets.

A hard level surface is recommended. Placing the unit on a surface that is not hard and level can cause the unit to perform poorly or shut off due to activation of the safety tilt switch.

No. Although it is preferable to anchor the castle into a grass lawn, castles can be set up on concrete surfaces. Castles can not be set up on stony or rocky surfaces. We do need to be informed if the jumping castle is to be erected on a surface that does not allow for pegs to be used (eg: asphalt, paving).

Thatch causes a number of problems for your grass. Thick thatch layers contribute to drought stress because water has a hard time reaching the soil and runs off instead of sinking in. Numerous insect pests live and breed in the thatch layer. In humid climates, thatch harbors fungal diseases. Light can't easily penetrate thatch, making grass spindly. The bottom line: a thick thatch layer is a sign of a sick lawn.