Small Grains News and Updates

Greetings,

Hope harvest is going well and that you got all of your winter wheat, triticale and rye in on time! It's not too late to apply for cost share, if you haven't yet. Also remember for your winter small grains like wheat, now is often the best time to shop for a forward contract as prices are most favorable to you. Speaking of wheat markets -- read on for more details on an exciting new market opportunity for wheat growers in Illinois!

Safe Harvest,

The Strategic Initiatives Team

2021 Small Grains Cost Share

Farmers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin are invited to apply for cost share on small grains harvested in 2021 and followed by a legume-containing cover crop. Small grains include barley, oats, rye, triticale or wheat and a legume cover crop could be under- or co-seeded clover or alfalfa or a summer planted cover that includes hairy vetch or field peas.

PFI will pay $15 per acre cost share on up to 200 acres for this combination of main crop and cover crop. We also have a growing number of programs that link this cost share with a market opportunity for a small-grain crop that you may qualify for based on your location and production practices. Acres are assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis. Apply for cost share on our small grains cost share page.

Small Grains Cost Share Sign-up

Mendota, Illinois Wheat Market and Cost Share

About a year ago ADM cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art milling facility in Mendota, IL and are setting out to increase the number of local Illinois farmers who are supplying wheat to that facility and using cover crops after wheat. In 2021, farmers who sell wheat into a number of Illinois ADM elevator locations destined for the ADM milling facility in Mendota are eligible for PFI's small grain + legume cover crop cost share, with a twist! Not only do growers receive $15/ac after planting their cover crop following wheat harvest, but they are also eligible to receive $10/ac for reducing N nutrient by 40 lbs/ac in their fertilizer program for the 2022 corn crop that follows it in rotation.

To be eligible, growers must deliver wheat to a qualifying ADM location in Illinois. Ideally the wheat would meet food-grade, milling specifications; however, if the grain quality falls short, farmers can sell the wheat to ADM at their feed bid price and still access the cost share program. To learn more about our cost share program tied to this special market opportunity, fill out our small grains cost share application and select "Wheat to ADM in Mendota, IL" on the final question or send an email to amy@practicalfarmers.org.

Should You Harvest Your Alfalfa this Fall?

If you established an alfalfa or clover crop with your small grains earlier this year you may have been planning to take a forage harvest off of it this fall. Things get pushed back when life happens and now you may be wondering is it too late? This blog from Forage Agronomist Margaret Smith at Albert Lea Seed House walks through three scenarios in the life stages of alfalfa and how that can factor into the decision: to cut in October or hold back?

Read the Albert Lea Blog

EVENTS

October

Iowa Learning Farms Virtual Field Day: Incorporating Sorghum into the Iowa Crop Rotation

Oct 20 1 p.m. CDT | Online

November

***No shared learning call in November - good luck with harvest!***

Grains & Revolution

Nov 5 | Online

Speaking of Oats: Oat Updates from the North American Millers' Association and the Canadian National Millers Association

Nov 19 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST | Online, pre-registration required

December

Shared Learning Call: Topic TBD

Dec 11 noon - 1 p.m. CST | dial (605) 313-5784 and enter passcode 239000#

Prairie Grains Conference

Dec. 9-10 | Online

Speaking of Oats: The International Oat Nursery

Dec 17 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST | Online, pre-registration required

January

Shared Learning Call: Topic TBD

Jan 8 noon - 1 p.m. CST | dial (605) 313-5784 and enter passcode 239000#

Speaking of Oats: The T3 Database and Applications to Oats

Jan 21 10 a.m. CST/11 a.m. EST | Online, pre-registration required

PFI Annual Conference: Coming Home

Jan 21-23 | Online

IN THE FIELD

Winter Small Grains Variety Selection

Though it's a busy time of the year in October, don't forget to plan for a precise plant population, calibrate your drill and prepare your seed bed for establishing a good stand of your winter small grain.

The variety selection episode of our rotationally raised video series
The blog from January 2017's shared learning call with seed dealer Mac Ehrhardt
This blog on planting a cereal rye crop for cover crop seed production.
Our PFI rye variety trial reports
When you're choosing between oats, wheat, rye and barley, you might consider which ones are feasible to secure crop insurance on. See our blogs for information on crop insurance for small grains: Crop Insurance Options for your Small Grains and Crop Insurance Options: Individual, Custom and Whole-Farm Plans

Seeding Dates, Rates and Field Prep for Winter Small Grains

The drill calibration episode of our rotationally raised video series.
The seed bed preparation episode of our rotationally raised video series.
This blog from Oct 2017 shared learning call on Raising High Yielding Winter Small Grains Starts in October with Planting
Crop rotation and residue management on your small grains fields can have a big impact on your disease management costs down the line. Refresh on the disease risks with our blog on small grain disease management.
Have you considered a phosphorous starter for your winter small grains? Check out this blog for some tips on the do's and don'ts of fall fertilizer for a winter small grain crop.