June 7th, 2024
By Marlee Giacometti
Reflections from Crop Diversification Efforts in the Corn Belt
On May 1st, our team held our third in-person workshop focused on perennial bioenergy crops for landowners and ag professionals in central Minnesota. This workshop was held as part of technical assistance under the Midwest Perennial Bioenergy Crop Diversification Project. Last year, two initial workshops in Northern Illinois and Southern Illinois kicked off the project’s workshop series. This work has been dedicated to supporting farmers and landowners who are interested in growing a perennial crop like switchgrass, miscanthus, and native prairie mixes to produce renewable energy on- or off-farm.
This recent workshop felt like a big moment. It was the culmination of months of hard work and coordination. It was also the first time the technical assistance for this project reached beyond the borders of Illinois into the broader Midwest farm region.
During my experience providing technical assistance and presenting at these workshops, I’ve talked with countless farmers, agricultural advisors, non-operating landowners, and biomass processors across the region. In these lively and often enthusiastic conversations, I was starting to recognize a few themes related to what folks thought about growing a crop like switchgrass or miscanthus in the heart of the Corn Belt.
Perennial agriculture systems and bioenergy are relatively novel concepts when thinking about renewable energy and commodity-scale agriculture. Perennial agriculture offers unparalleled soil health and water quality benefits to the ag landscape. Perennials can also support reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to less maintenance needed for these systems compared to growing conventional annual crops.
In wrapping up this last workshop and preparing to host another this summer, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned about crop diversification challenges and successes across the Midwest Perennial Bioenergy Crop Diversification Project.
Adding a new crop to a farm operation, especially a perennial like switchgrass and miscanthus, presents a variety of barriers and challenges to farmers and landowners. Logistics and financial challenges are often at the forefront of these barriers. However, social perceptions and culture also influence how and when a farmer may decide to grow a new crop.
Culturally, straying away from generational family farming practices and into a new diversified operation is a big undertaking and feels unsurmountable. There is also the perception of perennial grasses as inherently invasive. Miscanthus is often confused with aggressive invasives like phragmites. This can then lead to other anxieties farmers may have around the aesthetic value of the crops in their communities. In fact, perennial energy grasses like switchgrass and prairie mixes are native to this region and provide biodiversity and wildlife habitats to agricultural areas. Farmers actually come to find that growing these native species provides an ideal habitat for upland game birds, deer browsing, and other biodiversity, adding to the cultural, aesthetic, and economic value of their marginal farmland.
A few logistic challenges include upfront capital expenses to establish a perennial crop. It takes about three years to establish a perennial bioenergy crop and grow enough biomass for a profitable harvest. This period can be a challenge for farmers as there are no cost-share programs, crop insurance, or other financial support systems at this time. In addition, new technical knowledge to grow perennial bioenergy crops can be a barrier to adoption. Miscanthus, for example, is established with rhizomes instead of seed and requires some specialized equipment. With limited resources available for farmers on these crops, this steep learning curve can discourage adoption. With slow supply chain development for perennial grasses, lack of market opportunities and transportation logistics often discourage producers from growing altogether, even if there are other motivations behind their decision-making.
On the other hand, I have experienced many successes and bright spots related to crop diversification efforts. Through this project, we have found that farmers who start growing a new crop on a small scale or edge-of-field area can help overcome some of these logistic and cultural challenges, even eventually becoming profitable. Some perennial energy grasses like switchgrass and prairie mixes are native to the region, providing biodiversity and wildlife habitat to agricultural areas. Farmers have found that growing these native species provides an ideal habitat for upland game birds, deer browsing, and other biodiversity, adding cultural, aesthetic, and economic value to their marginal farmland.
Crop diversification is a complex and personal decision for a farmer to make. While there is no “one size fits all” solution, if we take time to learn about the farmer, their land, and their philosophies, adoption of a new crop can become more achievable.
Time and time, I leave these workshops with new relationships and more knowledge than I expected. As much as I teach attendees about these new crops and biomass technologies, I often am presented with questions and local knowledge that deepen my understanding and gratitude for this work and the hope for a perennial future.