Shared Learning Calls

Join Us for Small Grains Shared Learning Calls

Small grains shared learning calls are conference calls where you can listen and talk with other farmers and small grains enthusiasts. Each month our speaker(s) share experiences and production practices for 40 minutes, and then we open the floor for questions and discussion for the rest of the hour. Shared learning calls usually take place on the first Friday of the month from Noon-1 p.m.

We use Zoom to host these virtual events. To participate in shared learning calls, you can either join by phone or computer.

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Schedule

March 7 | Noon-1 p.m.

Managing Soil Health for Better Quality Crops

Cyclone Farms grows a variety of organic crops. Their small grain crops include HRWW wheat, yellow field peas, oats and alfalfa. They have cover crops in the rotation, as well as food grade corn and soybeans. Amy Bruch will talk about how they manage their soil’s health using different methods for understanding what inputs are needed where. She will also talk about the marketing of their small grains.

Amy Bruch is a sixth-generation farmer, agricultural and biosystems engineer, and owner of Cyclone Farms in east central Nebraska. After her father’s sudden passing, she and her husband, Tyler, stepped up to manage the family farm and have since transformed it into one of the most innovative organic farms in the country. Bruch’s strong commitment to organic farming is evident in her focus on soil balancing, technology and innovation, which are essential to producing nutrient-dense crops and achieving long-term resilience on her farm.

April 11 | Noon-1 p.m.

Preventing and Managing Disease in Oats

The 2024 growing season brought with it conditions perfect for Fusarium levels to spike in oats, a crop that normally has less prevalence of the disease. Farmers across the Midwest scrambled to figure out how to make the most of their infected oat crops.

As oats begin their next season of growth, last year’s experiences and an awareness of how Fusarium functions in other small grains can help farmers assess and manage disease risk. University of Minnesota Extension Small Grain Specialist Jochum Wiersma offers tips to help farmers plan ahead to try to prevent disease prevalence, including both Fusarium and the longstanding oat opponent, crown rust. He’ll also share approaches for handling the crop when diseases do appear.

Jochum Wiersma is University of Minnesota Extension’s small grains specialist at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center in Crookston, Minnesota. His research and extension efforts focus on improving small grains productivity and profitability.

Save these future learning call dates on your calendar:

July 11, 2025
Aug. 1, 2025
Sept. 5, 2025
Dec. 5, 2025

Blog Recaps

Most shared learning calls are followed up with a blog recap. Read through our recent shared learning call recap blogs to see what you missed:

There’s plenty more than just the handful of blogs listed above! Check out the latest small grains resources.

Acknowledgements

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, under grant ID 2004.22.075401 and agreement number 75401.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition, any reference to specific grants or types of products or services does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for those products or services.

This project is also made possible through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, with support from ADM re:generations.