Vermont farmers have been growing grains for animal feed on dairy farms for years.  Our goal is to give them the information they need to be able to grow higher yielding and quality grains.  It is our hope that the information generated will result in the production of more nutritious feed for livestock and/or the ability for farmers to produce grains for human consumption. 

Over the past few years, there has been increasing demand for locally grown grains of all types, including wheat, barley, oats, and more. Because Vermont has not been a hub for grain production since the 1800s, much of the local knowledge and infrastructure has been lost. Therefore, our team has been collaborating with the Northern Grain Growers Collaborative to rebuild a grain industry in Vermont. Our goal is to give both commercial farmers and small scale homesteaders the research-based information they need to grow higher yielding and quality cereal grains as nutritious feed for livestock and/or grains for human consumption. In addition to our research and outreach program, our Cereal Grain Quality Testing Laboratory helps farmers assess and maintain the quality of their grains.

NEW -

Survey of the Rye Value Chain in the Northeast Summary (PDF)

This document will also be posted in the Factsheets, Bulletins & Guides section below. We will also post the full survey document soon.

If you are interested in the survey instrument used for this Rye Survey, please view this link.

Seed Disease and Organic Management - For Cereals Grown in the Northeast (PDF)

PAST Event Information

Brewer and Hop/Grain Grower Events - The UVM Extension Northwest Crops & Soils Program hosted a series of fun and educational events to transfer valuable knowledge about ingredient and beer sensory quality while establishing standard methods and terminology to promote effective communication between suppliers and brewers. Our goal is to help you be successful through education and networking.

The three events built on each other and resulted in a much deeper understanding of sensory analysis and meeting the changing needs of beer drinkers.

Grain Growers Webinars - On March 24, 2020, we had a Grain Growers Webinar (PDF), from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. It included the following two webinar presentations that you can now access to watch. Each are 1 hour or under.
Growing Rye for Flavor and Function (YouTube video available) with Aaron MacLeod of Hartwick College.
Cover Crop Based No-Till and Interseeding Techniques (YouTube video available) with Erin Silva from University of Wisconsin.

  • Malting Barley

    Following are some Malt Barley resources and is work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under sub-award number LNE15-339-29994.

    PDF icon Guide to Malting Barley Production in the Northeast

    YouTube Videos

    go.uvm.edu/wokm8 - Strategies to Grow High Quality Malt Barley in the Northeast

    go.uvm.edu/mop-7 - Strategies for Harvesting High Quality Malt Barley in the Northeast

    go.uvm.edu/y5q4k - Strategies to Store High Quality Malt Barley in the Northeast

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Factsheets, Bulletins, & Guides

 

 

Other Projects

SMALL GRAINS

Vermont farmers have been growing grains for animal feed on dairy farms for years. Our goal has been to give them the information they need to be able to grow higher yielding and quality grains. It is our hope that the information generated will result in the production of more nutritious feed for livestock and/or the ability for farmers to produce grains for human consumption.

MALTING BARLEY

We have been asked on many occasions by local brewers and distillers whether barley grown in Vermont could meet malting quality standards. Through the years, we have planted several research trials and varieties of winter and spring malting barley.  You can view reports from our Research Results page.

Research Results

Find results of our cereal grains and dry bean research trials from 2009 to present, including:

  • Variety trials for spring & winter wheats, malting barley, cereal rye, oats, dry beans, & flax;
  • Seeding rate & planting date trials;
  • Fungicide efficacy in spring wheat & malting barley;
  • Organic nitrogen topdressing of winter wheat;
  • Weed control in spring wheat & flax; and
  • Pest scouting reports.

NWCS Quality Testing Lab

We provide testing services for cereal grains, hops, and malting barley.

Support NWCS today