Brewing With Kernza®

Learn about our role in making Kernza beer ahead of our December 5th event, From Field to Glass: Celebrating Kernza at Schell's!

Kernza Field in St Peter, August 2020.

If you’ve been following along with our work, you’ve probably heard us talk about Kernza. As the world’s first commercially available perennial grain, Kernza opens exciting new possibilities in the world of sustainable agriculture. Planting a perennial grain creates a crop with deeper, more fibrous roots, which assists in soil stabilization and erosion control, water retention, nutrient uptake, and weed suppression. This, in turn, improves water quality, soil health, and carbon sequestration. Wildlife such as pollinators, birds, and small mammals also benefit from the continuous ground cover, increasing biodiversity within an agriculture landscape.  

While the benefits of Kernza are easy to recognize, the reality is that it’s still a new crop with a developing market. That means equipment, resources, and demand can be a challenge for farmers. One of the ways we’re helping build local Kernza markets might surprise you: beer! 

Kernza grain and products at Great River Greening’s “Kernza® at the Creek” event, September 2023. Photo by Bruce Nimmer.

Great River Greening’s regenerative agriculture program supports Kernza growers by helping farmers learn about state and federal cost share programs, sharing resources, hosting farmer field days, and connecting them with local businesses. An exciting part of this work happens through our partnerships with Minnesota breweries. We meet with brewers to talk about Kernza’s environmental impact and explore how it can be used in their craft. When a brewery chooses to partner with us, Great River Greening helps them procure Kernza from a farmer in our network and provides ongoing support throughout the brewing process. 

As a newer grain, Kernza can be challenging to work with— not because interest is lacking, but because the supply chain is still developing. “There is interest from the public in Kernza,” says Jessica Barbosa Oliveira, Great River Greening’s Conservation Agronomist. “Adoption among Minnesota farmers is still limited, largely due to limited local infrastructure and lack of commodity contracts.”

This limited infrastructure can make processing Kernza challenging. Right now, the closest place for Minnesota Kernza growers to clean and hull their grain is in South Dakota or Wisconsin. Beyond cleaning, when we partnered with Padraigs Brewing this summer, the closest location for their supplier to malt the Kernza was in Colorado. While we offer support and resources to our partners as much as we can, we’re also working to make Kernza processing more accessible in the future. As Barbosa Oliveira explains, “There are still things to be developed and explored in the supply chain, but the interest from customers is continuing to grow.”

Kernza during initial stages of the brewing process at Padraigs Brewing, June 2025.

We’ve been lucky to partner with several local breweries across the state already, bringing limited edition Kernza beers to the public. As recognition of this crop grows, so does our network of brewers, and this December marks a partnership years in the making! Thanks to Schell’s Brewery, Minnesota’s oldest and largest family-owned brewery, we’re gathering to enjoy “Kernzilla,” a Munich Dunkel made with 15% hulled Kernza from local farmers. We’ll also hear from farmers, explore Kernza’s role in beer and baking, and connect with community members who are passionate about sustainability. Join us on December 5th from 5:00pm-8:00pm, with speakers beginning at 6:00pm. It’s a delicious way to support the environment, local growers, and Minnesota craft brewing—one pint at a time. 

For those who don’t drink or can’t make it to the event, there are plenty of other ways to get involved. One of the best ways to support farmers growing Kernza is to buy local Kernza products from vendors like Perennial Pantry, Sturdiwheat, River Rock Kitchen & Baking Co, 40th Century Grain, and more linked here. You can also learn more about check out our event calendar and stay tuned for future community gatherings and farmer field days! 

Thank you to Schell’s Brewery for partnering with us to celebrate regenerative agriculture with community and an original Kernza brew! Click here to learn more about the event and register. 

Want to learn more our work with Kernza and how we’re supporting farmers? Click here to watch our video! 

This event has been made possible through grant funding from Cargill.