Greetings,

We know corn and soybean commodity prices are rallying, but we also know that input prices go up as a result. Small grains in the rotation help control costs, and PFI is here to help you find markets where you can sell those grains and reduce the risk of adding them to your farm using our cost share programs. Below you'll find cost share and market opportunities, small grain events and timely resources on topics like oat variety selection and frost-seeding clover. We hope anyone frost seeding now has a climate-controlled cabin and warm mittens!

Stay warm,
The Strategic Initiatives Team
Accounting for an N credit from your legume cover crop can reduce corn production expenses while minimizing the risk of an N deficiency to corn.

On March 5 at 12:15 pm CST we’ll hear from PFI Research and Field Crops Director Stefan Gailans on how to consider a nitrogen credit from your leguminous cover crop.

To join dial (605) 313-5784 and enter passcode 239000# when prompted.
Earlier this month we heard from Jochum Wiersma on how we can minimize the occurrence of fusarium head blight, also known as scab.

Read the notes from the February call here. Past blog posts on disease management in small grains are here:
2021 small grain cost share tied to markets
PFI offers three market opportunities linked to our small grains cost share. For each program, earn $15/ac on up to 200 acres for planting a small grain with a legume cover crop and selling your grain to the designated location. Have questions about these market programs? Contact lydia@practicalfarmers.org
Northern Iowa oat market
Farmers in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota can sell conventional oats meeting food grade specs to Grain Millers in St. Ansgar, Iowa. The oats will be purchased by Oatly.

To secure cost share to sell oats for Oatly, fill out our small grain cost share application; select “Oatly: conventional oats to Grain Millers."
Southern Iowa oat, wheat market
Farmers in southern Iowa can sell wheat and oats to Smithfield Grain at the Davis City, Iowa elevator. Grain must meet test weight specs noted by Smithfield.
 
To receive cost share on oats and wheat destined for Smithfield, fill out our small grain cost share application; select “Oats or wheat to Smithfield Grain."
Northern Illinois wheat market
Farmers in northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin or eastern Iowa can market winter wheat to ADM at the Mendota, Illinois milling facility. Wheat should meet food-grade, milling specs; but if the grain does not meet specs, farmers can sell the wheat to ADM at their feed bid price. Growers in this program are also eligible to receive $10/ac for reducing their N rate to their 2022 corn crop following the wheat/legume cover crop.

To receive cost share on wheat going to ADM and Pepsi, fill out our small grain cost share application; select “PepsiCo: wheat to ADM." 
Test oat varieties on your farm in 2021
PFI will continue to calibrate our small grain selector tool and is seeking Iowa farmers to perform on-farm trials in 2021.

Participants will plant their typical oat variety alongside a variety predicted to perform well by a genotype-by-environment model.

PFI will assist trial design and provide compensation. Want to learn more? Contact lydia@practicalfarmers.org
A productive oat crop begins with appropriate variety selection. In this recorded annual conference session, farmer Chad Ingels, seed dealer Mac Ehrhardt and breeder Melanie Caffe discussed the ins and outs of choosing the right oat variety for your farming operation and end market.
Earlier this month Albert Lea Seed hosted a virtual conference on forages and small grains, and the videos from these presentations are now posted.

Check out this webpage to hear from experts on forage production and utilization, small grain variety selection, best practices for spring small grains and more!
EVENTS
February
February 19 | Noon - 1:30 p.m. CST | Online

February 25 | 6:30 - 8 p.m. CST | Online

March
March 4 | 6:30 - 8 p.m. CST | Online

March 5 | 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. CST | dial (605) 313-5784 and enter passcode 239000#

March 11 | 6:30 - 8 p.m. CST | Online

March 18 | 6:30 - 8 p.m. CST | Online
IN THE FIELD
Frost seeding and terminating clover
The window for frost seeding clover will soon be upon us. These resources have advice on frost seeding from experienced small grain farmers.
  • Kevin Shelley's clover expertise was capture in this January 2020 blog
  • The recap blog from February 2018 on frost seeding legumes features lessons learned by Tim Sieren and Keith Kohler
  • The pre-recorded farminar from February 2018 by Bill Dean explores yield and nitrogen benefits of red clover and recent research on ensuring red clover stand uniformity when underseeded
  • The blog from January 2018 covers all things red clover: from seeding to termination
Looking for more? Contact us today!
Rebecca Clay
Strategic Initiatives Agronomy Coordinator
(515) 232-5661
Sarah Carlson
Strategic Initiatives Director
(515) 232-5661
Lydia English
Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
(515) 232-5661