By TESA NAUMAN
Tennessee Correspondent

OLD FORT, Tenn. — Harry Rymer believes the future in farming lies with switchgrass.

In 2008, Rymer contracted with the University of Tennessee to grow switchgrass for three years for its new biorefinery in Vonore, Tenn. The biorefinery takes switchgrass and other biomass and turns them into ethanol for use as fuel. Rymer is growing 150 acres of switchgrass in Polk, Grundy and McMinn counties. For Rymer, it is a welcome change.

“I was running beef cattle, and beef cattle hasn’t made very much money in the past years.

Me and my wife decided to switch over and grow switchgrass, since we had a guaranteed money on it,” he said. “I have really enjoyed it.”

Rymer said growing switchgrass has been much easier than having cattle because it requires less time and money spent. “The biggest expense is fertilizer, but it’s nothing compared to cattle or having to mow and put up hay all summer.”

He hasn’t had any problems with disease or pests attacking the switchgrass. He said the hardest part of growing switchgrass is when first establishing it, because of other grasses.

“The biggest problem the first year is controlling wild grasses. And if you plant it on marginal ground, you don’t have the problems you can have when you plant it on better ground,” he explained.
“After the first year, you won’t have problems because it’ll choke those other grasses out. But the first year, you do have some problems.”

After his contract expires, Rymer plans to join a newly former co-op of switchgrass farmers whose aim to grow, market and sell the crop.
“I think it’s the crop of the future for the farmer, and also for our country,” he said.