Iowa, Minnesota growers seek to make oats great again

Investigate Midwest

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Midwest farmers are conducting trials to grow food-grade oats, traditionally sourced from Canada.

Growing oats offers environmental benefits, such as improved soil health and water quality, compared to a corn and soybean rotation.

Despite benefits, oat farming lacks support from major agricultural companies and has limited university research.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Few people outside Quaker Oats know exactly what the Cedar Rapids factory is making when a sweet, wholesome smell wafts from the plant north of downtown.

Locals call it a Crunch Berry day because Quaker — the world’s largest cereal plant — makes Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries, but the aroma could also be oats roasting for Oatmeal Squares or maple-flavored instant oatmeal.

The oats behind th