Greetings,

It's been a wild ride of a planting season. Our thoughts at the PFI office have been turned to you all in the field, wishing for the best. We haven't been slacking off though -- the full Small Grains Conference program and registration page are now online on our website! Check it out .

Don't forget to scroll down in the newsletter to see the full line up of small grains events coming up this summer. There's a lot going on!

Best,

Alisha
Join us for an action-packed conference in Wisconsin Dells on August 15-16. This year's small grains conference features TWO keynotes and TWELVE breakout sessions. Break out sessions will focus on small grain agronomy, livestock integration and markets. We'll convene Thursday August 15th from Noon - 5:30 p.m. and conclude the day with a facilitated buyers and sellers networking session, then pick back up again with sessions on Friday August 16th 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The cost to attend is free for PFI members and $40 for non-members.

Interested in learning more? Check out the full conference program on our website.

Already know you're going to go? Skip right to registration
Shared Learning Call June 28 on Growing Grain for Brewery and Distillery Start Ups
**Please Note that due to the fourth of July holiday our next shared learning call will be held June 28**

Craft breweries and distilleries demand more and more local grain every year and there's a lot of curiosity about what it takes to grow grains like barley for a small brewery or malt house. Nate Gieseke, who farms near Mankato, MN, was one of the first producers to grow barley for Schell's, a brewery based in New Ulm, MN, when they had just started to source local grain for their beer. His next project is launching a distillery in New Ulm. On our next shared learning call, June 28 noon-1 pm he'll share his experience from working with a brewery and his own process of launching a distillery start up from his perspective as both a farmer and an entrepreneur.

To Join dial (605) 313-5784 and enter passcode 239000# on Friday, June 28 at noon. **Please Note that due to the fourth of July holiday our next shared learning call will be held June 28**
If you have livestock, incorporating small grains into rations is a great way to support an extended rotation on your farm, but there are some equipment and animal health considerations to be aware of before taking the plunge. Cindy McCollough of Blue Stem Organic Feed discussed on and off farm milling equipment and kinds of grain milling or processing most suited to different kinds of livestock and their production phases in our last call. Check out the full recap on the blog -- the frequently asked questions about milling small grains for animal feed.
EVENTS
June

June 24, 2019 | Rochester, MN

June 25, 2019 | Danforth, IL

June 25, 2019 | Le Center, MN

June 25, 2019 | New Ulm, MN

June 26, 2019 | Fostoria, OH

June 26, 2019 | Kimball, MN

June 26, 2019 | Benson, MN

Upland Watershed Group Field Day: From Grain to Plate
June 30, 2019 | Ridgeway, WI

July

July 2, 2019 | Galva, IA

July 9, 2019 | Fergus Falls, MN

July 10, 2019 | Oklee, MN

July 10, 2019 | Onalaska, WI

July 11, 2019 | Humboldt, MN

July 11, 2019 | Strathcona, MN

July 17, 2019 | Sutherland, IA

August

August 15-16, 2019 | Wisconsin Dells, WI

August 16, 2019 | Harlan, IA

August 22, 2019 | Frederick, IL

IL Wheat Growers: Summer Wheat Forum
August 22, 2019 | TBD, IL
IN THE FIELD
Scouting and Disease Management
Maintaining yields and achieving market specifications like test weight or germination depend upon successful management of small grains diseases:

  1. Scouting and Disease Management Blog from April 2019 shared learning call.
  2. The disease management episode of our rotationally raised video series.
Adjust Side Dress Application for Corn Following Legume Cover Crop
It's not too late to take a late spring nitrate test or pre-sidedress nitrate test if you grew a legume cover crop like clover last year. Backing off of fertilizer inputs in the corn year is a key aspect to increasing profitability of extended rotations. Check out these research reports and other resources on how much nitrogen you can generate with a legume cover crop after small grains:

  1. Nitrogen Rate Comparison in Corn Following Green Manure Cover Crop Mixes
  2. Underseeded vs. Mid-Summer-Seeded Green Manures for Corn
  3. The Freedom from Inputs episode of our Rotationally Raised Video Series.
Looking for more? Contact us today!
Alisha Bower
Strategic Initiatives Manager
(515) 232-5661
Sarah Carlson
Strategic Initiatives Director
(515) 232-5661
Celize Christy
Swine and Poultry Coordinator
515-232-5661