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Small grains cost share available in 5 Midwest states

Farmers in five Midwest states are eligible to earn up to $20 an acre for raising a small grain this year.

Lydia English with Practical Farmers of Iowa says the cost share program is for growers of barley, oats, cereal rye, triticale, and wheat in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

“The basic gist is that if you’re a farmer growing one of those crops and harvesting it either as forage or grain, you can get $20 an acre on up to 400 acres if you follow that small grain with a summer cover crop that contains at least one legume species.”

She tells Brownfield adding a small grain to crop rotations can spread out workflow, diversify income, and help control weeds and pests.

“And then also just bumping up yields in other parts of the rotation.”

English says Practical Farmers of Iowa is accepting applications for the small grains cost share through July 1^st.