Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery introduce Kernza® Pils made with Kernza perennial grain.
Kernza not only sequesters carbon from the atmosphere; it also makes delicious beer.
In a continuing effort to scale regenerative farming practices, Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery have partnered to launch Kernza® Pils, a distinctively crisp and refreshing German-style pilsner beer made with Kernza, a remarkable perennial grain that draws down carbon from the atmosphere and sequesters it in the ground. Hitting shelves and taps starting today in select markets coast to coast, Kernza Pils is one of the most widely distributed Kernza-based beers on the market and marks a significant shift towards a more climate-friendly brewing industry.
In 2008, The Land Institute made a breakthrough in regenerative agriculture with the development of a perennial grain called Kernza. Whereas most grains are planted and harvested annually, Kernza stays in the ground year after year, developing roots up to 12 feet long. Perennial crops like Kernza are beneficial to the environment; they protect soil from erosion and improve soil structure. They increase ecosystem nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, and can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. And in the case of Kernza, they lend a uniquely nutty flavor that makes a delicious beer. The Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head collaborative launch of Kernza Pils marks an important milestone in scaling Kernza.
“We create each of our products with a solutions-based mindset, discovering and incorporating ingredients that help to solve the environmental crisis,” says Birgit Cameron, co-founder and head of Patagonia Provisions. “Together with Dogfish Head, we’re able to spotlight the important and pioneering work of The Land Institute. By creating market pull for a regenerative crop like Kernza perennial grain, we hope to incentivize farmers and brewers to shift in this direction and to further our commitment to being in business to save our home planet.”
The launch of Kernza Pils represents the collective action of Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head taking steps towards scaling regenerative crops to inspire change in the brewing industry. Patagonia Provisions believes the future of farming, and our planet, lies in regenerative and organic agriculture – a practice that restores soil biodiversity, sequesters carbon and grows crops without chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Similarly, Dogfish Head is committed to continuing to amplify its use of regeneratively and organically-grown brewing ingredients.
“Diverse perennial grain agriculture holds great promise to reverse and regenerate the degradation of the soils, resources and species upon which human life depends,” said Rachel Stroer, president of The Land Institute. “But the true power of perennial grains will only be realized when grown on the landscape at scale. Partners like Patagonia Provisions and Dogfish Head are leading the movement to get perennial crops, like Kernza, on more acres across the country. When it comes to perennials, more is better. ”