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Kernza takes root in Goodhue County

One value of perennial grain is that it only has to be planted once, reducing erosion and use of fossil fuels.

Kernza perennial grain
Plants like Kernza perennial grain are helpful for the environment because they grow back year after year. This means that the roots grow deep, and result in a smaller footprint on the environment than annuals, according to The Land Institute. This is due to requiring less water, a reduction in fuel used to till and plant beds annually and the roots are able to capture more of the chemicals sprayed on crops and the area. The Land Institute photo

GOODHUE — If humans want to continue eating, we need to continue farming.

But many farming practices that have become common in the 21st century result in pollution and harm to local environments. So people and organizations are working to find creative solutions to the puzzle of maintaining a healthy ecosystem while continuing to producing food. The use of perennial crops is one emerging idea.

Already many perennial crops can be found in grocery stores: apples, raspberries, asparagus and strawberries are some of the most common examples. Organizations like The Land Institute, based in Kansas, are working to increase the number of perennial products.

"Perennial grains, legumes and oilseed varieties represent a paradigm shift in modern agriculture and hold great potential for truly sustainable production systems," the institute says on its website.

There are a variety of perennial grains being studied, including Kernza.

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Alan Kraus, a conservation program manager with the Cannon River Watershed Partnership,said Kernza "is just a brand name, a trade name, that the Land Institute has given to this intermediate wheatgrass that they developed."

The value of Kernza is that it only has to be planted once.

Planted in August, it comes up and turns green in the fall. Then, the grain grows again in the spring.

By August it is waist high and is cut and harvested. The portion of the plant that is not grain can be used as feed and/or bedding for animals.

By October, the crop growing again and farmers can either harvest it for feed or bedding, or have cattle graze on it.

The cycle repeats itself year after year.

Kernza is new in farming here. According to Colin Cureton with University of Minnesota, there are just more than 500 acres of Kernza being grown in Minnesota. Two farmers -- one in Goodhue and the other in Dundas -- are among those who have planted it. Worldwide there are 2,000 acres.

Other perennial wheat grasses are being tested in and around Minnesota, including one that the University of Minnesota named Minnesota Clear Water.

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Research has shown that planting perennials has numerous benefits for the environment and farmers, including:

A reduction in chemical runoff because perennial roots are deeper and more complex than annual roots so they can absorb more of the chemicals used on farm land.

  • Reduced water usage compared to annual crops. Studies show annuals can use up to five times more water than perennial crops.

  • Less fossil fuel is required because fields are not tilled and replanted annually.

    No matter their benefits, perennials are useless if there is no market for them. Luckily, there are already companies and individuals using grains like Kernza in consumer goods.

    "The grain that’s harvested," Kraus said, "can be used in both brewing and distilling as well as in baking, just like lots of other grains that we have."

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