In the rural communities surrounding The Land Institute in central Kansas, you can feel summer’s arrival—not just in the greening of the fields, but in the rhythm of everyday life. After years of drought or flooding, this spring brought relief with quenching rains. Seas of annual wheat stretch lush and green, and red-winged blackbirds flit through them joyfully. Soon, friends will bring sandwiches to farmers and field hands for lunch, gathering around clusters of trucks. Combines will illuminate the fields at night, racing to beat the next storm. The whirling of co-op fans and the whistling of trains—each playing their part in cooling and moving grain—will echo in the distance.
The beauty of Kansas in June is hard to deny. It is ubiquitous, familial, communal, and entrenched in our rural culture. And yet, what if this fleeting harvest story could also reflect the grander, more timeless beauty that Kansas is known for—the prairie? What if this story were also perennial?
More than 20 years ago, The Land Institute launched the perennial wheat program with a bold vision: to develop a grain crop that could feed people and sustain farmers like Kansas winter wheat—but with the perennial persistence and ecological benefits of the native prairie. To do this, our researchers crossed annual durum wheat with intermediate wheatgrass (the same wild grass whose improved varieties produce Kernza® perennial grain). The goal: a hybrid crop that survives and produces grain for at least three years, with strong yields and perennial roots.
In 2010, our team—led by Shuwen Wang—successfully produced the first 842 perennial wheat candidates. By 2018, five stable lines survived several years in the field. And by 2022, more than 20 new lines showed stronger perenniality and improved grain yields, even under especially harsh Kansas weather conditions.
Today, those lines are being evaluated by researchers around the world. In Australia, researchers are refining methods to optimize yield in the field. In Italy, scientists are studying nutritional value—one recent study found high levels of certain nutrients in specific perennial wheat lines (Galassi et al., 2025).
In the US and Canada—across Kansas, Washington, Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Alberta, New York, and Delaware—our collaborative network is working to ensure this crop will thrive in diverse landscapes. In Washington, for example, our growing partnership with Washington State University’s BreadLab, which began perennial wheat breeding as early as the 1990s, adds valuable insight and momentum to our joint research and vision.
This is a global movement—and also a local one. Through our civic science program, community researchers in Kansas and across the US are testing perennial wheat in their backyards and gardens. In five locations, the crop has survived and produced a harvest for three consecutive years—a promising sign that true perenniality is within reach across a diverse geographic range.
Perennial wheat is on the cusp of its own perennial future, generating excitement on regional, national, and international agricultural landscapes. Each hybrid that survives another year is cause for celebration, and a glimpse of the future we’re working toward: one where deeply rooted perennial grains sustain our soils and our communities, year after year.
As I drove east across the state last week, annual wheat blanketed fields in wide stretches, with golden hints at ripening. Gradually the boundary blurred and the landscape shifted into the native tallgrass prairie of the Flint Hills, rolling and expansive. At this union, I was reminded of The Land Institute’s early inspiration: a coming together of these two environments—and the cultures and ecosystems they contain.
This work is only possible because of people like you. You are an integral part of this story—along with the researchers, farmers, and community scientists growing a more resilient future. If you can, please consider renewing your support at the level that feels meaningful to you. Together, we can nurture this season’s promise into an enduring, perennial future.
Amanda Wagner, Annual Giving Officer