Why are we such fans of Kernza® perennial grain?

• Its roots grow 10 feet deep, improving the soil’s microbiome, sequestering carbon, and filtering harmful nitrates from water.
• It’s a perennial grain, so farmers plant it once and can harvest if for 3 to 5 years before needing to replant.
• The Kernza sold at Lakewinds is grown by farmer Wendy of Joia Food Farm.
  • Her farm is an organic oasis in the middle of conventional corn and soybean farms in northern Iowa.
  • She intentionally skips her first Kernza harvest early in the season because rare birds nest in her Kernza fields. She waits for the baby birds to mature and fly away before harvesting, even though that results in lost income.

When you’re baking, you can substitute half of the flour in many recipes for Kernza flour, which adds a delicious nuttiness to waffles, pancakes, and more. The whole grain can be used in grain bowls and other dishes where you’d use rice, wheat berries, or farro. (Note: Kernza is a wheat variety so does contain gluten.)

This unique, planet-friendly grain is delicious and eco-friendly, contains more protein and fiber than other wheat, and you get to support a local, organic, woman-owned farm, too. What a win-win-win!!