Brad Heins, Extension Specialist and Professor for Dairy Management at U of M Morris and West Central Research and Outreach Center, will discuss the Kernza plots that they have been grazing for over 5 years. We will discuss what they have seen, and also take a side-by-side look at grazed and un-grazed Kernza. Jonathan Kilpatrick, Soil Health Specialist from Sustainable Farming Association and an experience grazier as well, will be on hand to discuss forage chains and how Kernza could fit into a grazing system.
Kernza Field Day: Advances in Breeding, Production and Marketing
This field tour is an opportunity for growers, processors, businesses, and policymakers to gain first-hand knowledge and connect with experienced Kernza growers and researchers who have been advancing the breeding, production and marketing of the nation’s first perennial grain.
The Field Day tour will feature:
A tour of the next generation of Kernza varieties
Post-harvest/on-farm seed processing and conditioning demonstration
An overview of the state of the Kernza market
Water erosion demonstrations from the Lac qui Parle Soil and Water Conservation District
Soil pit showcasing the impressive Kernza root system
Join host farmer Kurt Kimber, the Perennial Promise Growers Cooperative, the University of Minnesota, and The Land Institute to tour demonstration plantings of organic Kernzaand prairie strips! All are welcome.
This field tour is an opportunity for growers, processors, businesses, and policymakers to gain first-hand knowledge and connect with experienced Kernza stakeholders who will provide insight on their best practices for harvesting, post-harvest handling, cleaning, and marketing the nation’s first perennial grain
Presenters include: UMNAgronomist Dr. Jacob Jungers; Sophia Skelly, The Land Institute; Colin Cureton, UMN Forever Green Initiative.
Please Register athttps://forms.gle/AYiu9FbYw55gNo2JA, or by calling Clean River Partners at (507) 786–3913
At this Field Day, we will tour Kaleb Anderson’s farm and discuss his experiences growing wide row corn with cover crops, planting soy and alfalfa with cereal rye, and growing/grazing the perennial grain Kernza. This event will emphasize how these practices influence soil and water health and include dinner, time to socialize, and a chance to try various Kernza products after our tour!
The ROCORI FFA along with the ROCORI FFA Alumni and Supporters is holding a Plot Day/Community Day at the ROCORI ball fields on 7/17 to introduce the community to Kernza that was planted in a partnership with the ROCORI school ag program.
There will be local speakers from the community and soil and water conservation programs, along with business and U of M teams to highlight why we planted the Kernza plot and all the benefits that the new emerging crop has on the environment and ground water in the area. There will be food utilizing the Kernza flour along with many hands on activities from kids to adults throughout the event running from 9:30-1 with door prizes throughout the event. All ages welcome to learn more about Kernza and the plot that the school and the FFA are working on along with a fun and interactive agricultural community day.
As the first commercially available perennial grain crop in the US, Kernza perennial grain has the potential to change agriculture landscapes by providing valuable ecosystem services and new economic opportunities.
Carmen Fernholz of A-Frame Farm, has been growing Kernza since 2011. A-Frame Farm manager, Luke Peterson, started growing and marketing Kernza in 2018, and now manages 30+ acres of the UMN variety, MN-Clearwater.
This field tour is an opportunity for growers, processors, businesses, and others to learn more about Kernza and its environmental benefits and economic opportunities.
On January 13, 2021, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association presented its highest honor, the Achievement in Crop Improvement Award, to Dr. Don Wyse, Professor of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. The award, presented annually since 1972, recognizes exemplary service to the seed industry as well as outstanding leadership in agriculture. Dr. Wyse has made significant contributions to grass seed production and is a well-respected teacher, researcher, and leader.
MCIA also recognized four Premier Seedsman awardees, Bob Ehlers of Elbow Lake, Clyde Kringlen of McIntosh, and Dean Terning and Dennis Terning of Cokato. Each year since 1928, MCIA has presented this award to recognize individuals or partners involved in quality seed production, active in MCIA, and who provide excellent service to the seed industry. University of Minnesota research scientist Donn Vellekson and veteran MCIA field inspector Randy Krzmarzick were the recipients of MCIA’s Honorary Premier Seedsman Award, which recognizes individuals not directly involved in seed production but who have actively supported the seed industry, MCIA, and their local community. MCIA has presented this award annually since 1930.
The awards were presented at the Minnesota Crop Improvement Association’s 118th Annual Meeting. The virtual event was hosted at MCIA’s office in St. Paul, Minnesota, January 13, 2021.
Dr. Don Wyse, University of Minnesota, professor and researcher, came to Minnesota in 1974 to accept a weed scientist position. The focus of his work quickly became quackgrass control in Kentucky bluegrass. Thus began a 45-year relationship with the grass seed producers in northern Minnesota. His work has been a key part in the success of the grass seed industry in Minnesota but has also benefited others in agriculture. He is a well-respected teacher, researcher, and leader. Don has taken the collaborative philosophy that helped the grass seed industry succeed and applied it to other initiatives in which he has been involved. Today, through the Forever Green Initiative, his work focuses on Kernza and other perennial and winter annual crops.
Read more about Dr. Wyse’s contributions to northern Minnesota’s grass seed industry here.
Premier Seedsman Awards
Bob Ehlers; Dean (back), Dennis (front), Doris (left) and Tonya Terning (right); Clyde Kringlen. Photos used by permission of the awardees.
Bob Ehlers has been a certified seed producer for 45 years. Today he owns and operates Red River Marketing Company near Elbow Lake. His entry into the seed business was based on the belief that, “Good year or bad, farmers will need quality seed every year.” Today he grows certified wheat and soybean seed. With a degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota, Bob built his own approved seed conditioning facility in 1994; he was also a partner in building a second seed facility in Thompson, North Dakota. Bob is an active MCIA member, serving as vice chair of the board of directors. He has also been active in various local organizations, including his church and area school board.
Clyde Kringlen has been associated with certified seed since he and his father purchased McIntosh Farm Service in 1981. Operating their MCIA-approved seed facility, he worked with local seed growers conditioning and selling certified wheat, oats, and barley. Over the years, Clyde developed a passion for wheat production and today manages wheat seed production for West Central Ag Services. He sees the value of wheat in the rotation and enjoys seeing the advancements being made in wheat production. Clyde has also served his community in a variety of ways including the McIntosh Fire and Rescue, St. Mary’s Church, and the Larry Sing golf tournament to support ALS research.
Dean and Dennis Terning, of Cokato, grew up in a seed corn producing family. They also grew certified seed of small grains and soybeans, conditioning it in a seed plant built by their father Ralph. The brothers did all the jobs necessary for seed production and learned the importance of quality. In 1985, Dean and Dennis began producing hybrid seed corn for their retail brand, Terning Seeds. Those first two hybrids have grown into a large-scale seed corn production operation. Today they can produce, harvest, and dry seed corn from over 6,000 acres. They continue to work with other local seed companies and say much of their success is due to great employees who take pride in producing high quality seed.
Honorary Premier Seedsman Awards
Donn Vellekson and Randy Krzmarzick. Photos used by permission of the awardees.
Donn Vellekson began working at the University of Minnesota, St. Paul, in 1975. As a research scientist, his career has been devoted to turf grass and forage seed production research. He grew up on a crop and livestock farm near Dawson, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Initially, his work focused on Kentucky bluegrass, timothy, and birdsfoot trefoil. Much of Donn’s work is done at the Magnusson Research Farm near Roseau and today perennial ryegrass is a primary emphasis. Over the years, he has received great cooperation from farmers and seed processors in the Roseau and Lake of the Woods area. Donn’s work on fertility, herbicides, winter hardiness, and seed production has been instrumental in the success of the Minnesota grass seed industry.
Randy Krzmarzick has been a reliable MCIA field inspector for 22 years. From his home farm near Sleepy Eye, he has walked thousands of acres across southwest Minnesota. Inspecting fields of oats, wheat, soybeans, and occasionally corn, Randy is a key part of the seed certification process. Each field must be evaluated prior to harvest for varietal purity, other crops, and weeds. His part-time work provides him the opportunity to meet people from family-owned operations to multinational corporations. As someone who loves the outdoors, he enjoys walking fields and is proud to play a small part in seed production. Randy is also involved in the Brown County Farmers Union, St. Mary’s Church, and the Sleepy Eye area food shelf.
2025 MCIA Annual Meeting • January 29, 2025 • St. Cloud, Minnesota
