Lee DeHaan

Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, Lee first encountered The Land Institute in the early 1980s, when he heard founder Wes Jackson speak about perennials. The experience stuck with him as he pursued a Biology and Plant Science degree at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, and later, a PhD and Master of Science in Agronomy and Applied Plant Science at the University of Minnesota. Today Lee is considered the foremost perennial grain breeder in the world, leading The Land Institute’s pioneering work to make intermediate wheatgrass (Kernza®) a viable, successful crop in both the field and the market. Read Lee’s Interview with a Plant Scientist.

My most perennial trait: Amplification—much of my time is focused on increasing yields, expanding collaborators, deepening insight, and connecting more people to the ongoing discovery of this work.