Prospects of Entry into the Energy Market by Small and Mid-Sized Farmers: Evidence from Tennessee

The goal of this study was to get feedback from farmers in selected Tennessee counties on their willingness to grow switchgrass as a dedicated bioenergy crop. Switchgrass can be grown on marginal land. It is environmentally friendly (useful for erosion control etc.) and can assist rural communities by developing rural infrastructure and job creation. There is call for shift from using food products such as corn to cellulosic source such as switch grass as feedstock for bioenergy. Recent increase in the price of corn is noted to have impact of increasing its price, demand for land and more application of fertilizer thereby having undesirable outcomes on economic and environmental aspects.