Small Grains

Small grains crops like oats, wheat, barley, rye and triticale are seeing renewed interest by farmers in Iowa. Practical Farmers members and others are generating information about how to source seed, as well as plant, manage and harvest these crops.

Iowa was once a nationwide leader in small grain production, especially oats, but many farm families haven’t grown them for a generation. Now that more and more members have become interested in growing small grains, Practical Farmers of Iowa’s staff and members have been busy compiling information about how to plant, harvest, store, and sell small grains.

2022 Small Grains Conference


2023 Small Grain Cost Share Application

If you farm in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska or Wisconsin and plan to harvest a crop of barley, oats, rye, triticale or wheat in 2023 and follow that crop with a cover crop, then you may qualify for cost share and/or a connection to a small grains market program. To determine your eligibility, complete the application and we’ll let you know if you quality for cost share.

Apply for cost share


More Small Grains Resources

Small Grains Business Directory

Benefits of Small Grains Infographic

Small Grains in the Cornbelt — 2016 Oat Pilot Report

Feeding Small Grains to Livestock — Meta-Analysis

Subscribe to monthly small grains e-mails



University and Extension Research


Contact Information

For more information about small grains programming: contact Lydia English at lydia.english@practicalfarmers.org.