skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

"Sowing Your Oats" Takes On New Meaning for Innovative Iowa Farmers

play audio
Play

Friday, September 8, 2017   

DES MOINES, Iowa – Sowing one's oats has long been an expression used to describe youthful indiscretions, but increasingly Iowa farmers are discovering that the literal application of the practice yields economic and environmental benefits.

Southwest Iowa farmer Eric Madsen says the state was once a national leader in oat production and used the crop for food, animal feed and bedding.

"The move away, probably, was a result of just farmer consolidation and less livestock grown on individual small-scale farms," he posits.

In an effort to diversify, improve soil and water conservation, and add a cost-efficient third crop, farmers such as Madsen have found oats to be a natural choice. The so-called "input costs" of planting oats are less than half of what it costs to plant corn. Oats also grow exceedingly well in Iowa's climate.

Madsen is one of dozens of farmers who attended the "Rotationally Raised" Small Grains Conference hosted recently by Practical Farmers of Iowa. He notes that only two states in the nation - Iowa and Oregon - have increased harvested oat acres. For this particular part of the country, Madsen says, it's proved to be a good time to return to the historic crop.

"Oats are a very easy crop to grow, don't require a whole lot of fertility or nitrogen inputs, the seed is very, very cheap compared to corn or soybeans and herbicide costs are low to none," he explains.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service reports harvested oat acres in the state recently have risen from 43,000 acres to 48,000 acres. In a tough farm economy, Madsen says a diversified operation creates more income streams while protecting the environment.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021