I neglected my worms when I had my third child and was so sure they had died. 18 months later my worm tower was full to bursting with alive worms ready to be fed. It amazed me. 18 months without food and they continued their lifecycle without any inputs from me. It was a very happy day for me.
A perennial grain is quite a revolution! I assume it would likely still be a monoculture in practise but leaving roots in the ground year round instead of tilling is going to do wonders for the soil life and structure.