Farmers turn to perennial grains as one solution to extreme weather

Bryce Black kneels in a wheat field battered by intense drought. He holds two strands, remarking on how small the seed head is compared with what is normal. After a late October rain last year, the fourth-generation farmer was optimistic about his 1,800 acres of winter wheat, but a dry winter and spring brought extreme drought when the wheat needed moisture to establish itself. He ended up harvesting about 1,500 acres, but the yield was the lowest he has had since taking over his family’s farm i