Kernza
Since 2017 the Farm Hub has been growing Kernza, a distant cousin to agricultural wheat, in partnership with the Kansas-based non-profit The Land Institute. The Farm Hub is part of a network of farms across the country growing and providing feedback on this perennial crop. Apart from reducing the need for annual tillage, Kernza has other environmental benefits. By forming an intricate, permanent root system, the grain anchors the soil and prevents erosion. It also helps fix nutrients in the soil, which improves soil ecology and can mitigate the need for chemical inputs. Like other closely related perennial grasses such as tall wheatgrass, Kernza has the potential to be a viable tool for addressing agriculture’s impacts on climate change.
Spring wheat is planted in the early spring and it is harvested in July.