Sustainable farming future - Don Wyse's impact on MN

By Scout Nelson

As Minnesota’s sustainable farming and environmental community mourns the loss of Don Wyse, Ph.D., co-director and founder of the Forever Green Initiative at the University of Minnesota, the need for public investment in resilient agricultural systems is more evident than ever.

Wyse, who passed away earlier this month, was not just an innovative plant breeder; he was a dedicated scientist serving farmers, natural resources, rural communities, and the greater good. He embodied the land-grant mission: public science serving the public good.

Over his 50-year career, Wyse's research left a lasting impact, notably through the Forever Green Initiative, which developed “continuous living cover” crops. These crops, including Kernza and camelina, build soil, protect water, sequester carbon, and generate economic activity year-round.

Wyse recognized the dominance of corn and soybeans in our system, driven by agronomic, marketing, transportation, and processing systems, along with public policy. He understood the need for public investment to develop the next generation of crops and create a food system that benefits society.

Wyse’s greatest legacy was leveraging the resources of the University of Minnesota to address critical public needs in agriculture, beyond the dominant industrial model. His work highlighted the importance of science that is responsive to farmers, local communities, and the public.

He believed that farmers must be key players in research and outreach partnerships, exemplified by southwestern Minnesota farmer Carmen Fernholz, a pioneering Kernza producer.

“This relationship with Don showed me that the fields on a farm were really no different than plots on the St. Paul campus,” Fernholz said. “Most of these Forever Green crops have the potential to not only provide a more robust food system but also benefit the land, our water, and the human resource, namely farmers.”

Continuing Wyse’s legacy requires intentional effort and support for regenerative continuous living cover systems. The extreme weather and soil health issues driven by climate change underscore the urgency. To honor Wyse's vision, public institutions must expand support for agroecological systems, benefiting emerging, small, and medium-sized farmers who are the backbone of rural communities.

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