Economics of Raising Oats – Practical Cover Croppers

“Profitability, of course, is yield or revenue minus expenses,” Martin Larsen says as he discusses his decision to raise oats on his Byron, MN farm.

In this video, filmed in 2022, Martin provides estimates on the expenses and revenue of raising oats to compare to the expenses and revenue of raising corn. He describes how including oats in the rotation changes the overall profitability of his rotation, including reduced applied nitrogen in the corn year and increased yield in corn and soybean years. Plus, Martin explains how rural economies are impacted by farmers staying profitable with extended rotation.