American Farmland Trust is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory to broaden crop diversification and farm resiliency efforts in Illinois. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the diversification and installation of alternative energy sources. This increase also coincides with the emergence of the potential for a robust bioeconomy in the Midwest. This project will explore opportunities to support the Illinois agricultural community through the adoption and utilization of perennial bioenergy crops. These opportunities aim to provide economic and environmental resiliency to farms.
This project seeks to repurpose marginal lands using perennial crops to provide additional economic opportunities while boosting farm resiliency. The crops recommended for this transition include switchgrass, miscanthus, native prairie mixes, shrub willow, and poplar. These perennial bioenergy crops are harvested for their biomass feedstock to generate fuel for heating, electricity, and biochar. This feedstock offers farmers the opportunity to sell to biorefineries in the region or process the biomass on their farm with energy producing technologies. Additionally, Argonne National Lab is developing an analysis tool called SUPERBEEST for farmers and conservation planners to assess the ecosystem services and economics of these crops.
To date, AFT has held four listening sessions, performed stakeholder interviews, and launched the Midwest Bioenergy Crop Coalition. AFT has also conducted outreach throughout the state of Illinois, reaching over 1,000 people. For more information, see farmland.org/illinois-perennial-bioenergy-crop-diversification-project.
