Oat varieties and production featured at Oat Field Day on July 19

Lauren Voelker - July 02, 2018

Join us July 19, 2018 at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station for our first oat field day.

Oat plots. Photo by Dean Baas, MSU Extension.

Currently, oat production in Michigan is estimated around 40,000 bushels per year brought to harvest. While among the lowest produced small grains in the state of Michigan, interest in this versatile crop is increasing in part due the to the organic, locally sourced food market. Oats serve multiple purposes including: small grain production (human and animal consumption), forage, and cover crops. Research plots at the Michigan State University (MSU) W.K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) feature sixteen different oat varieties that were chosen to evaluate yield, quality, processability, and potential disease resistance under organic management.

While the trials have been managed organically, this trial will be of interest to conventional producers as well, exhibiting varietal differences under minimal inputs. Whether you are growing oats for food, feed, or forage under conventional or organic management, this event will have something to offer.

The MSU Oat Field Day at KBS in Hickory Corners on July 19 will run from 5 – 7 p.m. beginning with registration and refreshments, followed by a plot tour and education programs featuring MSU researches and local grain millers. The event address is: 9693 North 40th Ave Hickory Corners, MI 49060. This address will take you to the house that is directly across the street, follow the signs to the plots.

In our educational sessions, topics that will be discussed include: oat production in Michigan, organic variety trails and oat diseases. The field day will conclude with a showcase of freshly milled oats as well as an opportunity networking. Those interested in oats and their use in Michigan are encouraged to come out to support our first oat field day!

The event is free, however registration is strongly encouraged. Register at https://events.anr.msu.edu/KBSOats/.

This project is funded by Organic Valley, Farmers Advocating for Organics grant program.

For questions about the event please contact:

MSU Extension Educator Dean Baas at baasdean@arn.msu.edu
MSU Kellogg Farm Manager Brook Wilke at wilkebro@msu.edu
Agribusiness Management undergrad Lauren Voelker at voelke21@msu.edu

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).