General Mills to Commercialize Organic Perennial Wheat

General Mills and Skagit Valley’s Cascadian Farm announced last week the two will work with the Land Institute to commercialize organic Kernza, a perennial grain and wild relative of annual wheat.  According to General Mills, the intermediate wheatgrass grows deep roots that show promise to increase soil health, carbon sequestration, water retention and enhance surrounding wildlife habitat.

Cascadian Farm has agreed to purchase an initial amount of the perennial grain which allows The Land Institute to arrange with farmers to plant on commercial-scale fields versus the test sized plots currently being grown.  Kernza is unique in that its roots grow more than twice as deep, upwards of 10 feet, and are greater in density than current annual wheat roots.  A perennial, farmers who produce Kernza do not need to till and replant the crop every year, minimizing disruption to the soil.

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