Growing the Roots of a Solution: Kernza

What is Kernza?

• Kernza is a trademarked name of the edible grain harvested from intermediate wheatgrass developed by the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas. It’s a perennial grass related to annual wheat grass and is one of several continuous living cover crops being developed for large scale farming.

Why do we care about Kernza?

• Growing Kernza yields large ecological benefits that start in the field and continue to trickle downstream and eventually make it to your table.
• For example, 49% of wells in agricultural areas in Minnesota have nitrate concentrations higher than EPA standards for drinking water. Continuous living cover crops have long roots that utilize nitrate deep in the soil before it makes it into the ground water. At the same time the above ground living cover reduces soil erosion and the impacts of drought and flooding. Planted on enough acres, these benefits will trickle all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico where the all the excess nitrates pile up forming the ever growing “dead zone”.

How does eating Kernza help?

• The more we can incorporate Kernza and other continuous cover crops into our regular menus, the more we can kick start the market. Bigger market = bigger demand = more acres planted to meet this increased demand.
• Here’s a video about connecting growers with makers so we can eat more Kernza.