Growing Small Grains

Why consider small grains?

Wheat, oats, barley, and rye can be grown for flour, feed, straw, or cover. They fit rotations, suppress weeds, and spread out the labor of the year because they are planted and harvested at different times than vegetables.

Grain on a small scale can be harvested by hand or with borrowed equipment. A small plot is a good way to learn.

Even a bed a few steps wide can give a useful lesson. Many farmers begin by growing a small block of wheat or oats and learn threshing and storage before scaling up.

• Food, feed, straw, or cover crop uses
• Break up weed and disease cycles
• Spread out the farm work calendar
• Can start on a very small plot

Which grain should I choose?

Choose by use and by what survives winter in your area. Winter types are planted in fall and harvested the following summer, while spring types are planted in spring. Wheat, barley, oats, and rye each have different needs and markets.

Ask your extension office which varieties perform locally and which are best for your use, such as bread, feed, or straw.

Rye is often used as a cover crop because it grows in cool weather and suppresses weeds, but it can be hard to manage in spring, so ask local growers about timing.

How do I prepare a seedbed and plant?

A firm, level seedbed with good seed to soil contact helps even emergence. Planting date matters, especially for winter grains, which need time to establish before cold weather and should not be planted too early or too late. Local guidance is essential, since dates differ by region.

Seed can be drilled or broadcast and lightly covered. Follow seeding rates from your extension office and avoid planting into very wet soil.

Weed seed in your seed lot is a real concern. Buy clean, tested seed from a reliable source and avoid using saved seed if it is full of weeds.

What fertility and weed control do they need?

A soil test guides fertility. Grains respond to nitrogen, but too much can cause lodging, which is when plants fall over and are hard to harvest. Rotating after legumes can reduce fertilizer needs.

Weeds are often handled through good stand establishment, rotation, and timing, since cultivation within a grain stand is limited. A thick, healthy stand shades out many weeds.

Keep fields well drained, since standing water kills stands in winter and spring. A field that stays wet is better suited to another crop.

• Use soil tests to guide nitrogen
• Rotate after legumes where possible
• Aim for a thick, even stand
• Avoid too much nitrogen to limit lodging

What problems should I watch for?

Diseases such as rusts, scab, and mildews and pests like aphids and birds can affect grain. Wet weather near harvest can cause sprouting or mold, and some molds can produce toxins that harm people and animals. Ask your extension office what to watch for locally.

Do not feed or sell grain you suspect is moldy. Contact your state agriculture department or extension office for testing options.

How do I harvest, thresh, and dry?

Grain is ready when the heads are dry and kernels are hard. On a small plot, cut and bundle, dry under cover, and thresh by flail or small thresher, then winnow. Combines do the work on larger acreage and are often borrowed or hired.

Moisture must be low enough for safe storage. Ask your extension office for the target and how to measure it, because wet grain spoils and can heat in storage.

Harvest on dry days and keep cut bundles off wet ground. Rain on cut grain can cause sprouting in the head, which lowers quality and market value.

• Cut when heads are dry
• Thresh and winnow
• Test moisture before storing
• Keep cut grain off wet ground

How do I store the grain?

Store clean, dry grain in sealed containers or bins in a cool, dry place. Protect it from rodents and insects, and check regularly for heat, damp, and pests. Keep records of yield and variety.

If you plan to sell grain or flour, ask your state agriculture department about licensing, labeling, and food safety rules.

Label every container with grain type, variety, year, and moisture reading, and keep a record so you can compare years and fields.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Rural Farm Life Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.