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Oats & The 3-Legged Stool of Farm Resiliency

This Humble Grain Represents One Commonsense Approach to Diversifying the Landscape

By Shea-Lynn Ramthun
November 16, 2024

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In case you haven’t noticed, the humble oat is having a bit of a moment. After decades of declines in oat plantings in Minnesota, acreage increased this year. Market demand for the small grain is up, a group of farmers are attempting to pull together funding for a major processing plant in southern Minnesota, and research is showing that this crop can serve as a key linchpin in a rotation that builds healthy soil and protects water quality. Finally, myself and other southeastern Minnesota farmers who are organizing around cooperatively marketing the grain were recently featured prominently in the Star Tribune newspaper.

As a beginning farmer, Land Stewardship Project soil health organizer, and rural resident who cares about the economic and environmental health of my community, I’m thrilled to see this small grain getting some big attention. It’s become clear that if we are successful in making it a key part of our rotation, it could serve as a three-legged stool that supports economic, agronomic, and environmental sustainability. The oat isn’t the GOAT, but it does have some pretty cool superpowers.

A forage crop emerges from a harvested oat field on Shea-Lynn Ramthun’s farm in southeastern Minnesota.

 

For example, on my farm I recently interseeded oats with clover — oats serve as an excellent protective “nurse crop” for forages while they’re getting started. I harvested the oats for the grain and the straw, and started rotationally grazing my beef herd on the forage a month later. This saved me two months of feeding hay, which resulted in a roughly $1,500 reduction in my feed bill for my herd of nine cattle. That’s a major boost for a beginning farmer who is trying to figure out how to integrate livestock back onto the land in a practical, economically viable manner. To top it off, because of the high feed value provided by the forage, I had to call the butcher and move up the slaughter date by six weeks. By the way, my customers said that was the best beef they’d ever had.

There are other economic benefits to diversifying the rotation with a crop like oats. When paired with a legume like clover, oats create a field environment where nitrogen can be fixed naturally. In fact, studies show that integrating small grains like oats into a rotation can boost corn and soybean yields by 5%, adding $30 per acre in farmer income. In addition, when integrated with legumes, oats can result in a $15 per acre savings as a result of reduced fertilizer costs. That’s important at a time when commercial fertilizer prices remain stubbornly high.

And it turns out less of a reliance on purchased nitrogen fertilizer means less nitrate pollution in our groundwater, a key issue here in southeastern Minnesota. Adding a single small grain like oats to a rotation can have a significantly positive impact on our air and climate, according to research conducted by the University of Minnesota and Iowa State University. That study found more diverse rotations used 56% less fossil fuels, generated 54% fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and had monetized damages from greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants that were 42% lower than the conventional corn-soybean system.

The other farmers I work with through LSP’s Soil Builders’ Network have found that oats can play a key role in building soil health profitably. Oats provide cover for the soil and fibrous living roots beneath the surface at a time when row crops like corn and soybeans are just getting their growing season started. The beauty of oats is that, unlike some experimental “third crops” out there, they have a long history on Midwestern farms — oats have been grown on our farm for six generations, for example. Growing this grain does not require a major shift in equipment or handling and storage facilities. And oats can play a complementary role in our existing corn-soybean rotation.

What I’ve found is growing a crop like oats may not produce profitable returns immediately (like corn and soybeans can in good years), but it creates a good investment in the soil and my bank account over several growing seasons. That’s key to long-term resiliency when volatile price swings plague mainstream commodity crops like corn and soybeans.

What I’ve found is growing a crop like oats may not produce profitable returns immediately, but it creates a good investment in the soil and my bank account over several growing seasons.

There are big picture economic benefits to increasing the presence of oats here in Minnesota as well. With a growing consumer trend toward healthy, sustainable foods, oats present a prime opportunity to build a resilient, locally driven supply chain for an in-demand product. Oat sales climbed almost 45% during the 2022 growing season, according to one market research analysis. The $5.16 billion market for oats in the U.S. is projected to have a 7.8% mean annual growth rate between now and 2030.

So what can be done to get more oats growing on more Minnesota farms? For one, farmers like me need to be guaranteed a consistently profitable market if we are expected to take the risk of growing this crop. Two out of the top 10 companies with the largest oat market shares are based in Minnesota. Ironically, those companies, General Mills and Grain Millers, source most of their oats from Canada; in fact, the U.S. is the biggest importer of oats in the world. What if our homegrown companies bought more homegrown product?

The potential for rural Minnesota is huge. Consider this: farmers who are proposing a processing facility in Albert Lea that could handle 30,000 acres of oats annually estimate that each oat-producing acre would use 50 pounds less purchased nitrogen per year. Now what if we expanded this environmental (and economic) opportunity by having additional oat processing facilities located in other parts of Minnesota? One estimate is that three oat processing facilities would support 500 small to mid-sized farms through the addition of a profitable third crop while creating dozens of new jobs.

Are oats some sort of magical silver bullet? No, but they do represent one commonsense approach to diversifying our landscape while building economic, agronomic, and environmental resiliency. Let’s take advantage of oats’ moment in the sun while we have the chance.

LSP soil health organizer Shea-Lynn Ramthun is a Farm Beginnings graduate and raises crops and livestock in Minnesota’s Goodhue County.

Category: Blog
Tags: beginning farmers • crop diversity • integrating livestock • nitrates • oats • rural economic development • small grains • soil health • water quality

Upcoming Events

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October 2025

Thursday October 9

5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation Fall Learning Circle
Thursday October 9
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Minnesota Women in Conservation Fall Learning Circle
Dawson, MN 56232, USA

Participants will walk around a “homestead” farm site, exploring areas and goals the landowner hopes to improve in the future, including pollinator habitat, perennial plantings, windbreaks, privacy/noise screens, water quality improvements, well sealing, and compost placements. Participants will hear feedback and recommendations from a conservation professional on potential programs that could assist the landowner in achieving those goals. This will be an active event.

Please bring a camp chair and a potluck dish. The host will provide the main dish, so think about bringing sides and dessert. For details and to reserve a spot, click here. For questions, contact LSP’s Alex Kiminski at akiminski@landstewardshipproject.org.

Friday October 10

8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
Friday October 10
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Weaving a Wider Community: Seeing & Countering Racism in Our Backyard
111 N 1st St, Montevideo, MN 56265, USA

Join LSP and CURE for a community event at the Land Stewardship Project office in Montevideo (111 N. First St.), from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Friday, Oct. 10. This event includes lunch catered by El Mana; please register by Oct. 3 to be included in the food count.

You can RSVP here.

The Racial Equity Conference, organized by the Greater Minnesota Partnership of the Facilitating Racial Equity Collaborative, has been specifically designed to bring engaging content to local communities through a unique pairing of online speakers and in-person local sessions. The morning’s online content will include a conversation focused on seeing and countering racism in rural communities, moderated by Eryn Gee Killough, paired with two outstanding keynote speakers, Jenna Grey Eagle and Ron Ferguson, who have experience working in rural communities. 

This online content will be exclusively available to local community gatherings. Each gathering will gear their in-person activity to their specific community with the goal of extending the impact of the conference to others throughout the following year. Join LSP and CURE for this western Minnesota gathering, or if a different location works better for you, check out all the local gatherings on the FREC site,

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out. LSP’s Nick Olson can be reached via e-mail at nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.

9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Friday October 10
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Intensive Small-Scale Market Gardening Bus Tour
Leatherdale Equine Center, 1801 Dudley Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, USA

Explore profitable small-scale farming (1–5 acres) and soil care. Visit a cooperative incubator farm and a thriving suburban market garden. Learn about cover crops, reduced tillage, high tunnel soil health, and support for growers.

This is the second tour in a three-part soil health bus tour series. Participants can sign up for just one, two, or all three tours. Register at https://z.umn.edu/vegetablebustours. The cost is $15 (flat fee, covers 1, 2, or 3 tours). There are more details in the attached flyer.

Saturday October 11

11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
Saturday October 11
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
LSP-COPAL Visita a la Granja | Farm Tour
36919 County 57 Blvd, Dennison, MN 55018, USA

Building off the success of last year’s farm event with COPAL in Austin, Minn., this year Land Stewardship Project and COPAL members and supporters will gather at the Young-Walser Family Farm in Dennison, Minn. for a festive and delicious farm tour on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. We invite you to come and meet new folks, learn new skills, and try new food! 
 
This year’s COPAL-LSP farm event offers a little something for everyone: 
 
🍯 Honey sampling and the opportunity to purchase from Homestead Honey Farm. 
 
🍎 Apple cider pressing and tasting. (BTW, we’re still looking for an apple press if you or a farmer friend have one nearby we could borrow for this event!) 
 
🌽 Nixtamalization workshop and fresh, homemade tortillas, made with corn grown by LSP and COPAL members at the Young-Walser Family Farm! 
 
🍅 Salsa making and cricket-eating competitions! Yes, you heard that right —we’ll have the opportunity to sample crickets, a delectable crispy and savory snack commonly enjoyed throughout Mexico and Central America. Stay tuned for details on how to enter either competition. 
 
🥾 A tour of the Young-Walser farm, nestled in the beautiful Sogn Valley not far from Cannon Falls, Minn. Enjoy a tromp through the corn and squash fields and hike in the nearby woods. 
 
🌮 A shared meal and opportunity to hear from LSP and COPAL organizers about our participation in the Immigrant Defense Network. 

Let us know you can make it to ensure we order enough food and supplies! Carpools from Minneapolis and Rochester will be available to all attendees. 

________________________________________________

¡Únete a LSP + COPAL para nuestro recorrido anual comunitario en la granja!
Un espacio divertido para tod@s donde exploraremos la agricultura, aprenderemos sobre el campo y participaremos en actividades prácticas. ¡Uno de los momentos más especiales será hacer tortillas frescas junt@s!

Compartiremos un delicioso almuerzo comunitario, preparando tacos en estilo potluck (tipo convivio). Te invitamos a traer un platillo o acompañamiento para compartir.

También estás invitado@ a llegar temprano (desde las 9 AM) para ayudar a cosechar calabazas que sembramos. Puedes llevarte algunas a casa, y el resto se donará a un banco de alimentos local.

El Land Stewardship Project (LSP) es una organización aliada de COPAL que trabaja por sistemas alimentarios y agrícolas más sostenibles y justos. LSP y COPAL están unidas en su lucha por instituciones democráticas sólidas, comunidades saludables y acogedoras, y una ética de cuidado hacia la tierra y las personas que nos alimentan.

Tuesday October 14

11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Tuesday October 14
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm
Online

This 10-lesson Wild Farm Alliance virtual course teaches agricultural professionals and farmers how to support beneficial birds and manage pest birds on farms. By learning how to assess the farm’s avian needs and opportunities, farms can be designed to provide for a diversity of beneficial birds. 

If pest birds are a problem, they can be discouraged with specific practices during the shorter periods when they cause damage. The sessions cover the latest research, tools and resources, and are given by experts in avian pest control, entomology, ornithology and conservation. While many topics and species are specific to the Midwest, most of the principles discussed are applicable across regions. 

Continuing Education Credits have been requested and are expected to be approved from American Society of Agronomy.

For details and to register, click here. 

The Course Schedule:

LESSON 1

Why Birds Belong on the Farm: Biodiversity, Pest Control & A Thriving Landscape

Tuesday, September 23, 2 p.m. CT


LESSON 2

Birds as Pest Control Allies on the Farm

Tuesday, October 14, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 3

Birds in the Balance: Pest Control Services Across Crop Types

Tuesday, November 4, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 4

Integrating Habitat into Croplands: Prairie Strips and Bird Conservation

Tuesday, December 2, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 5

Birds on the Farm: Balancing Biodiversity and Food Safety

Tuesday, January 13, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 6

Beyond the Crop: Birds, Biodiversity, and the Power of Edge Habitat

Tuesday, February 3, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 7

Bridging Forestry, Farming, and Habitat

Tuesday, February 24, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 8

Perennial Pathways: Agroforestry for Birds and Biodiversity on Farms

Tuesday, March 17, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 9

Birds on the Range: How Grazing Practices Shape Habitat for Grassland Species

Tuesday, April 7, 11 a.m. CT


LESSON 10

Birds at Risk: How Pesticides Shape Safety on Agricultural Lands

Tuesday, April 28, 11 a.m. CT

View Full Calendar

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