Miscanthus was introduced during the 1950s in the United States. The perennial grass, which only needs to be planted once every 20 to 30 years, offers Iowa farmers many opportunities.
“There are different motivations for incorporating perennials into a farming operation or land management operation,” says Emily Heaton, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University (ISU). “However,” she adds, “profitability has to be part of it for everyone.”
“No one can be sustainable, or regenerative if they can’t sustain, or regenerate money. We see Miscanthus as an incorporation to protect our corn and soybean operating system because we’re hemorrhaging soil and nutrients with the practices used today,” Heaton says.
Steve Schomberg, who farms in Muscatine County, learned about Miscanthus in 2003. He saw it as an opportunity for a third cash crop.
“One of my intents when I joined the farming operation was to look for a third cash crop. I got nervous with the rollercoaster ride of corn and soybeans, and I had become interested in perennials. Miscanthus is a perennial, and I, by chance, learned about the University of Iowa’s interest in growers that would grow Miscanthus under contract that they would then use as a biofuel. So I jumped at the opportunity and was fortunate to be the first grower in Iowa to plant Miscanthus on a field,” Schomberg says.
Schomberg gradually increased his acres, as he sought to grow a better understanding of growing Miscanthus. He then created a commercial field to market the crop and test profitability.
Schomberg will further speak to his return on investment in part two of this series, which will be posted Tuesday.
