FARMER'S son Ross Simmons is as happy on his home turf as anywhere. He is not of the opinion the grass is greener beyond Okehampton — and, unless driven through necessity, admits having little desire to travel further than Exeter one way and Tavistock the other.

But an abiding desire to harness the rich grass around his home at Thorndon Cross into a top grade pet product has seen him jetting Stateside.

Ross is so convinced his patented Natural Grass Nutrition — 'the ultimate dietary balancer for today's pets' — is a success waiting to be discovered that three times he has crossed the Atlantic to seek out prospective buyers.

They like the concept and are prepared to give it a trial.

The problem is Ross cannot produce sufficient quantity without a large injection of cash — and no one is prepared to buy into the unknown to the tune of £120,000.

Get the money, produce the goods and he has an entré into the lucrative pet food market. But no money equals no product equals no deal. Catch 22.

'I had a million-dollar contract over 12 months to produce it for supply but the banks in this country wouldn't back me,' said Ross, 42.

'I have been to Canada once and the States twice — and the interest is phenomenal. I was taken to the best restaurants in stretch limmos. I came back all hyped up — and then, nothing . . .'

He has been perfecting the product since 1991 and, despite setbacks and disappointments, he is determined to succeed.

'Ten years on and I'm still struggling — but Mr Dyson took 13 years!' he quips.

Since 1978 he has been working on and off in the grass drying business. It was this and watching the family farm dogs eat grass that made him see the potential in creating pellets for pets.

'I'm an entrepreneaur not a businessman. I'm an ordinary person with an idea that I can make millions and millions. I have proved it. In this country Harrods were interested — but they wanted the finished packaging.'

Ross believes if his idea took off it would help the region.

'When foot and mouth is over we will need big investment in this area,' he says.

'The Americans like it and are willing to try something new. But the English are very conservative unless it is a proven thing.'

He accepts that ordinary dog food is a lot more balanced these days but feels his own patented product — a blend of grasses and clovers — produces better results.

'The production process starts in the Spring by preparing grass ready for the season's harvesting. The grass is cut five times a year which means it's always cut at a young stage. This keeps the grass sweet and helps maintain protein and sugar levels,' he says.

Once cut, the grass is left to dry for up to four hours. Specialist harvesters chop the grass which is then transported back to the dryer.

The dried material is milled, cubed and mixed with other ingredients to create the finished product.

'Some people think it's silly. Some people sneer — more so because I have been trying for so long. They don't understand how I won't give up.'

Ross says he has relied on stubborness and instinct to see him through.

'I live in a mobile home because I have spent my money on this. If I had a house worth £250,000 and went to the bank they would say "Yes, you can have £250,000" because they are not losing anything. But if you say you haven't got anything they say: "That's nice, bye, bye . . ."'

On the plus side he says he has all the contacts in place — the manufacturers, packers and potential outlets in America and Canada.

'If I could get the money now, within 12 weeks I would have the finished product packaged and ready for the customer. All it would take is just three phone calls!'

He says all dogs and cats chew grass if they have a chance and he is trying to provide it in specially blended pellets to promote good digestion.

'A lot of cats live in high-rise flats and never see a lawn. It was Johnny Morris who suggested I made it for cats as well.'

He also got encouragement from vet and animal psychologist Ian Dunbar who invited him to San Francisco.

'I remember wandering around my room picking up the phone about ten times before I rang — but he was absolutely brilliant.'

The late Johnny Morris was particularly encouraging, as was health guru Leslie Kenton.

Ross says if he is successful in the States both he and the product would help to promote the South West.

'I wouldn't live anywhere else. I love it here — and I'm keen to promote the local area.'