This Biofuel Feedstocks module is part of the Biomass Energy Training Curriculum, 13 modules developed through a Southern SARE grant and collaboration between Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee, eXtension.org, and USDA-Rural Development. While it is written as a training guide for TN producers, much of the information is applicable throughout the Southeastern US region.
The objective of this curriculum is to provide training on biomass energy to extension agents and local officials so that they may deliver this information to their stakeholders.
Link to the full Biomass Energy Training Curriculum

This module covers: Renewable fuels standard, Biofuel conversion processes, Fuel comparisons, Cellulosic ethanol feedstocks and Biodiesel feedstocks suitable for TN and the Southeast US.
Learning objectives: Participants will be able to: identify different biofuel crops, describe how biofuels are produced, and state the advantages and disadvantages of various biofuel crops.
Curriculum Materials – Biofuel Feedstocks:
- Presentation slides
- Participant handout
- Lesson guide – provides informative notes, test questions, and an evaluation form.
- Factsheet: Agricultural feedstocks for cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel, Tennessee State University ANR-B13. 2015.
More Information from other specialists:
- References and Additional Resources for Biomass Training Curriculum
- Renewable Energy Resources – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Learning Center
- Factsheets from Extension feedstock specialists across the U.S.– eXtension.org
- Training course: Bioenergy Crop Production – eXtension.org

Module Author Jason de Koff is an Associate Professor of Agronomy and Soil Science for Tennessee State University’s Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. His research focuses on bioenergy crop production, with specific interests in switchgrass and winter canola production. His extension training programs and educational resources provide current bioenergy production information to producers. Find his latest on Twitter: @TSUBioenergy
These training resources are freely available for educational purposes under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Please provide attribution: The Biomass Energy Training Curriculum by Jason de Koff, Tennessee State University; funded by Southern SARE.
If you wish to adapt these curriculum materials for your own educational purposes, please contact the Curriculum Author for permission and files:

Specialists from Tennessee State University, the University of Tennessee, eXtension.org, and USDA-Rural Development developed this Biomass Energy Curriculum, with funding from Southern SARE.
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program’s mission is to advance—to the whole of American agriculture—innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), USDA. www.sare.org.