Cultivating Collaboration: Mid-project Summary for the Grass2Gas Project

Abstract

A mid-project update on the Grass2Gas project.

The Consortium for Cultivating Human And Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE) is a multi-institutional partnership working to create new value chains on U.S. farms, with emphasis on the generation of nutritious food, renewable energy, sustainable bioproducts, improved rural economic outcomes, and protection of the environment.

A subset of C-CHANGE, Grass2Gas is advancing research, education, and extension to support development of a new biobased value chain centered on anaerobic digestion as conversion technology. The multi-institutional team is assessing ways in which perennial and winter crops can be used more widely as feedstock for anaerobic digestion. The novelty of the project lies in leveraging a successful business model based on the digestion of manure to encompass new agricultural feedstocks, more diverse products, and increased value throughout the supply chain.