Local farmers and scientists are promoting a form of fuel that you can grow in your backyard... called switchgrass.

It's a tall warm season grass, when in pellet form, can burn as a clean form of energy in boilers or furnaces.

Mary Baldwin College hosted an information session about switchgrass, Tuesday.

The technology to transform the grass into fuel has been developed over the last few years.

Local farmers and biologists say it's a great way to boost the local economy.

"You know, farmers that used to be tobacco farmers have had a pretty rough time and this offers the potential to be another good cash crop," said Taylor Cole, a switchgrass farmer from Deerfield, Virginia.

Farmers say switchgrass is also efficient at draining storm water, because it has deeper roots than normal lawn grass.