Compared to annual crops, perennial crops provide sustainable environmental benefits such as reduced soil and water erosion, reduced soil nitrate leaching, and increased carbon sequestration.

Expand your understanding of food systems as a Civil Eats member. Enjoy unlimited access to our groundbreaking reporting, engage with experts, and connect with a community of changemakers. “From an ...

Elizabeth has worked since 2010 as a writer and consultant covering gardening, permaculture, and sustainable living. She has also written a number of books and e-books on gardens and gardening. Haley ...

Expand your understanding of food systems as a Civil Eats member. Enjoy unlimited access to our groundbreaking reporting, engage with experts, and connect with a community of changemakers. Marisha ...

AMES, Iowa – The ability of cover crops to stimulate microbes deep in the soil of farm fields leads to significant gains in water quality but does not necessarily increase the capacity of soil to ...

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University scientists are developing new approaches to cover crops that incorporate perennial groundcovers, a development that could break down barriers keeping farmers from ...

Most of the foods humans eat come from just a handful of plants. In fact, more than half the plant-based calories humans consume come from wheat, maize, and rice — and all of these plants are annuals, ...

MADISON, Minn. — Carmen Fernholz’s 500-acre farm here is a modest proving ground for what is being heralded as crop agriculture’s best chance to beat back climate change: Kernza. The perennial crop’s ...

Large perennial grasses like miscanthus are a primary target for use as bioenergy crops because of their sustainability advantages, but they take several years to establish and aren’t ideal for crop ...