BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Farmers in the Midwest are part of social circles that are mostly comprised of individuals who, for a variety of legitimate reasons, grow two-crop monocultures. However, there is ample evidence that oats are a viable crop for Illinois farms and offer farmers an opportunity to create three- to four-year crop rotations that include legumes like red clover and alfalfa. So why aren’t more oats being grown?
The agronomic and economic benefits of longer, more diverse rotations are well documented, but it is important to acknowledge up front that the primary barrier to more farmers adopting diverse crop rotations is a social barrier.
Oats were more widely grown in Illinois up to the 1960s, but they have since declined to the point where only 35,000 acres were grown in Illinois in 2017. In other words, almost no farmers grow oats in Illinois anymore. Thus, a farmer who chooses to grow oats is operating outside the norms of his or her social group, which is difficult and stressful and can have serious ramifications beyond the farm. It is human nature to value and to work to maintain connections to friends, neighbors, and community members. However, we are in a period of rapid change in agriculture, and transitions to new ways of farming are becoming easier. More and more farmers are finding success with new farming strategies. For those able to change, opportunities are revealed. And while some connections are lost, new connections are made. The process is challenging, but many who take the leap benefit from the effort. Once the dust settles, they often do not regret making a change.
Embracing change is also getting easier due to market conditions. Frankly, there is a lot of uncertainty and low prices associated with the current approach to growing two-crop monocultures. Growing oats or other small grains gives farmers an opportunity to take control of their operations and to have their profitability linked with their management skills. This approach to farming fits within the framework of regenerative agriculture, and a growing number of organizations are working to ease the transition to this form of farming.
Regenerative agriculture sets out to build soil health, resilient farms, and net profitability for farmers by replacing inputs that are typically purchased with the management skills of the farmer. Examples of organizations involved in this effort include Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), Grain Millers, Oatly, The Grand Prairie Grain Guild, Regenerate Illinois, The Artisan Grain Collaborative, Ograin, University of Illinois, The Land Connection, The Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Albert Lea Seed, Iowa State University, and the Idea Farm Network (IFN).
The IFN is an e-mail listserv that provides farmers an opportunity to ask questions and to share information within a large network of farms in the Midwest. Farmers that have engaged in learning a new way to farm are open to sharing ideas and information. Everyone benefits and the nascent group gains market share and credibility through cooperation. This type of dynamic offers an opportunity to build new relationships with like-minded people.
A good way for farmers to begin to realize the benefits of diverse rotations is to connect with other farmers that are doing it, perhaps beyond your normal social circles. From there, start small, learn as you go, and scale up production as your skills and markets develop. Interestingly, many farmers that choose to grow more diverse crops end up appreciating their new level of engagement with farming. A common sentiment among this group is that “farming has become fun again!”
— University of Illinois Extension
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