Our Land > Climate-Smart Crops > Wisconsin-Grown Kernza
Wisconsin-Grown Kernza® Supply Chain Hub
The Wisconsin-Grown Kernza Supply Chain Hub is scaling up this climate-smart crop by connecting growers, processors, and buyers across the state to build a truly local farm-to-fork and farm-to-glass economy.
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Explore Our Approach
Overview
About the Hub
The Wisconsin Kernza Supply Chain Hub is a statewide collaboration that’s removing barriers and building infrastructure for locally grown Kernza®.
Led by Clean Wisconsin in partnership with Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, UW–Madison’s Picasso Research Group and Emerging Crops Program, Rooster Milling, and a growing network of Wisconsin farmers, the Hub is piloting a fully in-state supply chain—from field to processor to product.
This work is part of Clean Wisconsin’s Natural Climate Solutions Roadmap and is supported by The Daybreak Fund. It’s one of three pilot projects designed to align agriculture with Wisconsin’s climate goals.
95.2 Acres
Of Kernza planted across 12 Wisconsin counties in 2024
4,000 lbs
Of Kernza harvested—enough for 100–300 barrels of beer
10
New growers and 5 research stations joined the Hub in 2024
1,200+
Miles to be cleaned and processed before the Hub’s intervention.
1st
Crtified Kernza processing facility established in Southeast Wisconsin (Rooster Milling)
LOCAL MATTERS
Why It Matters
Kernza is a perennial grain with deep roots that reduce erosion, store carbon, and require fewer inputs than conventional crops. But without a local supply chain, its environmental benefits are undermined.
One Milwaukee brewery sourced Kernza grown just 30 miles away—but it traveled over 1,200 miles to be cleaned, processed, and returned. That’s expensive and inefficient—and it defeats the purpose.
The Hub aims to fix that. By streamlining sourcing and building up local processing capacity, we’re keeping the value (and the grain) right here in Wisconsin—creating climate wins and economic opportunity.
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS
What We’re Doing
To grow Kernza® at scale, we’re building the infrastructure it needs to thrive:
- Connecting farmers with processors, researchers, and buyers
- Identifying and addressing key supply chain bottlenecks
- Facilitating in-state processing through Rooster Milling
- Piloting product-ready batches of Kernza® grain for beer, spirits, and baked goods
- Testing what it takes—from volume to quality—to meet market demand
The goal: prove that Wisconsin-grown, Wisconsin-processed Kernza® is viable, valuable, and worth investing in.
KEY INITIATIVES
Project Milestones
From seed to sample, here’s how the Hub has made progress in its first year.
January
Rooster Milling becomes the first SE Wisconsin-certified Kernza® cleaning and processing facility.
March – May
- 10 new growers and 5 research stations join across 12 counties
- 96.2 acres planted
- WI Kernza Supply & Demand Inventory created to track production and needs
June – July
- Farmer field days hosted to share Kernza® benefits
- Post-harvest guidelines developed
- Kernza samples shared with prospective brewers
August – October
- First harvests coordinated across the state
- 4,000 lbs of Kernza harvested—enough for 100–300 barrels of beer
- New growers recruited for 2025
November – December
- Grower roundtables held to prep for next season
- Kernza Field Day hosted at Rooster Milling to connect growers with breweries, bakers, and chefs
RESOURCES
Kernza Resources
Explore helpful tools, guides, and references for Wisconsin Kernza growers and supply chain partners.
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