Growing the use of small grains in the Upper Midwest
How can we make small grains a viable and profitable crop in the Upper Midwest?
Small grains bring many benefits to agricultural systems, yet most farmers in the Upper Midwest no longer plant them in rotations. CIAS worked in partnership with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, the Artisan Grain Collaborative, the University of California, Davis, and Purdue University to study why farmers don’t grow more small grains, and how to support their production.
Quick Facts
0.7%
Total field crop acres planted to small grains in the region
406
Number of farmers who responded to the survey about small grain production
38
Number Farmers & stakeholders throughout the small grain value chain who participated in focus groups and interviews
The factors that enable strong agricultural markets and can support farmers to produce small grains including processing infrastructure, crop research and development, organic production, the integration of crops and livestock, federal crop insurance, and supply mandates will all play a role in ensuring that small grains have the same market potential as corn and soybeans in the Midwest.
-Drivers and deterrents of small grain adoption in the Upper Midwest report
Project outputs
Peer reviewed journal article: Our daily bread in the Heartland: Understanding and leveraging diversification to small grains in corn and soybean systems
An article published in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation expands upon the 2023 report with a robust analysis and theoretical framework to identify the barriers farmers face to growing small grains and the factors that have helped some to be successful in their small grain operations. The article concludes with recommendations for action and collaboration on the part of university researchers, Cooperative Extension, USDA, policymakers, seed companies, grain processors, food companies, farmers, farmer cooperatives, farmer organizations, and commodity groups to ensure that small grains have the same potential as corn and soybeans in the Upper Midwest.
Report: Drivers and deterrents of small grain adoption in the Upper Midwest
A report published in September of 2023 details the drivers and deterrents of the adoption of small grains and provides policy-relevant solutions for how small grains can be encouraged in the region.
Small grain fact sheets
This fact sheet lays out the types of markets and types of contracts used for small grains, including results from surveys, focus groups, and interviews.
This fact sheet explains the ins and outs of crop insurance for organic and specialty grains and uses data from surveys and interviews to illustrate producers’ experiences.
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