Perennial Grains Gain Traction Among Farmers Battling Extreme Weather

Bryce Black is a fourth-generation farmer who grows wheat, corn, soybeans, and milo on his family's 4,500-acre farm in Kansas. Last year, he experienced one of the worst droughts since taking over the farm in 2017, with yields at their lowest since then.

Black is not alone - many farmers struggle with extreme weather conditions like drought and intense rainfall. However, some are turning to perennial grains as a solution to build resilience against these events.

Kernza is one such perennial grain developed by The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. It's similar to native grasses found in parts of Europe and western Asia and has been cultivated on 3,511 acres in the US last year alone.

Perennial grains like Kernza don't require yearly planting and harvesting like annual crops do. Instead, they are planted once every few years and have deeper root systems that can access water deeper in the ground, making them more drought-resistant.