Approaching Oats as a Cash Crop – Virtual Field Day
Oats are becoming a hot commodity as more grocery shoppers reach for oat-based products – but in the field, we’re still treating them like a second-class crop. This virtual field day showcases the steps Scott has taken to step up oat production on his organic crop and livestock farm, including his participation in a cooperator trial for better oat variety selection.
The field day also explores how the Wedemeiers use interseeding cover crops and relay cropping with small grains to manage nutrients, erosion and weeds on their farm from underseeding clover with oats to relay cropping spring wheat and soybeans.
Scott and Catherine Wedemeier own and operate a 911-acre family farm near Maynard, Iowa. Scott is the third generation to farm this land. The Wedemeiers raise organic corn, soybeans, oats and hay and have dairy cow, goat, pig and beef livestock enterprises. In 2019, Scott began growing oats for Seven Sundays as part of a supply chain pilot with PFI.