The Kernza^® Network

Field Theory is an innovative food ingredients company supplying today's leading brands. Our Direct Trade network of progressive growers provides high-quality products with a focus on Regenerative Agriculture and Organics. Field Theory supplies Kernza® as one of their speciality ingredients. Website

In 2021, we started using Kernza® as an adjunct ingredient to replace traditional malted barley and other cereal grains in our beer. Kernza® is of particular interest to Upslope because it is a perennial grain with greater carbon sequestration potential, lower water use, and unique flavor when compared to annual cereal grains.

We help farmers from across the Great Plains to grow, process, and market Kernza^®. As an approved Kernza^® seed source, we are passionate about assisting first-time Kernza^® growers to get started. Through our network of growers we can help buyers to source bulk and retail volumes of Kernza^® grain and flour.

I believe that Kernza^® and perennial agriculture is a major step forward in the development of agricultural systems in the age of climate change. I began growing Kernza^® in fall of 2020 and I think it combines a unique mix features that make it beneficial to end-use-customers, farmers, our communities and society as a whole. We're developing markets, infrastructure and networks to expand the commercial viability of Kernza and other perennial crops throughout their scale-up and commercialization processes.

We partnered with the University of Minnesota to do some trial custom cleaning of Kernza in 2018. Last year we cleaned all of the new MN-Clearwater variety (20,000+ pounds) for the U. MNL's mission is to Heal the Earth, and Kernza® fits well within that mission. We have the equipment and expertise from our native seed cleaning operation to handle the various cleaning needs of Kernza®, from seed quality to full de-hulled grain quality.

We are a family farming operation with cattle, row crops and planted out first Kernza in the fall of 2019. We also have a precision agriculture business to help farmers become more efficient in there own operations.

Cascadian Farm^® began working with Kernza^® in 2017. In 2019 we launched the first cereal by a national brand, Cascadian Farm Honey Toasted Kernza^® Cereal. Cascadian Farm, and their parent company General Mills, continue to show interest in Kernza^® because of its intrinsic regenerative agricultural benefits as a perennial grain crop, and how it may potentially help us address climate changes in the future.

We began growing Kernza^® in 2014. We have experience growing perennial grasses and like the benefits of the grasses in our crop rotation. With spring flooding, and higher rainfall events, we like to grow Kernza^® as filter strips to reduce soil erosion and we still have an economic benefit besides just ecological.

Perennial Pantry exists to bring delicious, climate positive food staples to your kitchen. An offshoot of Sprowt Labs, Perennial Pantry is a direct to consumer brand offering dehulled grain and flour.

Planted first in September 2019. With a lighter soil and being organic, wanted to plant something else in the rotation. Like a challenge.

In partnership with Patagonia Provisions, we created two Northwest-style beers, Long Root Pale Ale and Long Root Wit. These beers were made from organic ingredients and feature the first commercial use of Kernza, a perennial grain which thrives without pesticides. It uses less water and removes more carbon from the atmosphere than annual grain, this is what originally sparked our interest in the use of Kernza. After years of brewing with Kernza, we also know now that it produces delicious beer.

Pilot site participant with UMN's ENRTF Project entitled: "Preventing Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater using Perennial Grains". 54 acres planted in 2017 within a highly vulnerable wellfield located in southwest Minnesota. As a public water supplier, very interested in an alternative means to reduce nitrate loading in groundwater sources and particularly public drinking water supplies.

Fresh Energy’s Center for Pollinators in Energy partners with leading food and beverage companies in creations that pair Kernza with honey harvested from flowering solar farms.

Our specialty is working with sprouted grain. We wanted to sprout kernza^® to see what we could do with it and developed a Sprouted Kernza^® cracker and put it on Amazon. It quickly attracted interest and sales. Customers wanted to buy Kernza^® from us so they could work with it at home. We then offered a sprouted kernza^® flour for our customers and this too became a very popular product for us.

Alan Kraus is working with Forever Green Initiative and partners of The Land Institute to provide information to farmers interested in growing Kernza^® and to local businesses interested in using Kernza^® in baked or brewed products.

Five years ago we hosted an artist in residence who was a master baker and baked Kernza^® bread for visitors to taste at a public event. We are working to add Kernza^® to our current offerings.

We have used Kernza^® in pancakes, waffles, breads, bars and grain salads in the cafe and on our fanmous Heirloom Tomato Sweet Corn BLT on Kernza^® focaccia at the Minnesota State Fair. We also included a Kernza^® recipe in the Birchwood Cafe Cookbook published in 2015. By featuring Kernza^® on our menu and the Kernza^® story in our communications, we can connect our community to the food we eat with the awareness that our food choices can and do have an impact on the world around us. We are inspired by the perennial agriculture paradigm and Kernza^®'s benefit to water and soil quality, climate change, community health and well being. We enjoy the collaborative nature of all the partners at the table working together to bring the supply chain to fruition. And it tastes great too!

Hudson Valley Farm Hub grows Kernza^® and has a decided to donate their harvest to The Land Institute, helping to support the on-going research that will bring Kernza^® to the forefront of the perennial grain revolution

Healthy Food Ingredients is an organic and non-gmo grain and seed company that specializes in unique and planet friendly supply chains. We have partnered with key players in the Kernza^® supply chain to grow out Kernza^® supply and to install food grade cleaning and dehulling of Kernza^® for the food industry.

Green Land Blue Waters promotes Continuous Living Cover farming because the way we farm can be a solution to big challenges - climate, water, wildlife, and vibrant, just rural communities.

Sprowt Labs became the first distributor of Kernza in 2019. They are developing Kernza malt with their pilot malting technology and working to scale production to bring Kernza into widespread use in the craft beverage industry.

Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) is the first perennial grain crop in the world, currently marketed as “Kernza^®”. We are researching this new perennial crop to develop a dual-use, grain and forage system, which will increase profitability, reduce adoption risks for farmers, and facilitate a landscape-scale transition to perennial agriculture in the US Upper Midwest and the world.

Working together we can enhance and develop new agricultural systems that will improve natural resources and provide new economic opportunities. Our team consists of experts in the areas of genomics, breeding, agronomics and commercialization.

In 2016, we released the first commercial product made with Kernza, Long Root Ale. Grown regeneratively & organically, Kernza restores soil and sequesters carbon - a solution to the climate crisis.

Cascadian Farm began working with Kernza^® in 2017. In 2019 we launched the first cereal by a national brand, Cascadian Farm Honey Toasted Kernza^® Cereal. Cascadian Farm, and our parent company General Mills, continue to show interest in Kernza^® because of its intrinsic regenerative agricultural benefits as a perennial crop, and how it may help us address climate changes in the future.