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 Association 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.