Learn How Food Grade Grains Can Work for You — Join us This Tuesday for a Free Webinar

How Food Grade Grains Can Fit into Midwest Farm and Food Systems

Free Webinar | Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM CDT

If you’ve ever wondered how food grade grains could have a place on your farm, this webinar is for you. Food grade grains bring a unique win–win: they open up profitable, value-added market opportunities while also improving soil health when included in a rotation. The challenge? Making sure your grain meets the quality market standards.

Join a live webinar exploring the opportunities and challenges of food grade grains on Tuesday, September 9, from 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT. This webinar is a collaborative effort from Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI) together with Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC), University of Madison Wisconsin Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN), North Central Region SARE, and Michigan Agriculture Advancement (MiAA). Presenters will bring wisdom from agronomic research and real-world experience. The event is free to attend but registration is required to get the Zoom link.. If you can’t make it live, no worries -  all registrants will be sent a recording.

The webinar will begin with Dr. Nicole Tautges, aka “The Kernza Queen” and Research Director at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute,  talking through the varieties and market classes of common food grade grains in the Upper Midwest, along with key agronomic tips for growing success. As she puts it: 

"Our team and stakeholders identified a huge need to improve technical support resources for food grade grains growers. With support from NCR-SARE, we put together a kit of resources and will be presenting the first part of those, along with a grower perspective on introducing food grade grains to those looking to learn more about how they are grown and marketed."

Dr. Nicole Tautges will then be joined by seasoned farmers Willie Hughes and Wesley Rieth , who will share their experiences with growing and marketing food grade grains. Willie Hughes is the sixth generation on his family’s farm. He and his father, Randy Hughes, are niche-crop and value-added farmers operating nearly 5,000 acres of cropland near Janesville, WI.  They have both organic and conventional crops as well as cover crops – such as blue-and-white corn, snap beans, peas, oats, rye, sweet corn, wheat, sunflowers and hemp. Wesley Rieth enjoyed countless childhood summers working and living on a farm in Three Oaks, Michigan, instilling in him a recognition of and a reverence for the sweat and beauty that agriculture necessitates. His post-collegiate journey led him from the hallways of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to becoming a school teacher in rural Appalachia, and, finally, he submitted to the insatiable pull that farming has always had on his life. He resumed a life devoted to agriculture in June of 2016, and now farms in Central Iowa.

This webinar is a chance to ask questions, hear stories, and walk away with practical resources that can help you decide if growing food grade grains is right for you and your farm. Learn more and register at michaelfields.org.

This event is hosted by The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI), with support from Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC),  University of Madison Wisconsin Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN), North Central Region SARE, and Michigan Agriculture Advancement (MiAA).

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About Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI)

MFAI is a non-profit organization that has been cultivating resiliency through research, education, and policy work since 1984. With a broad coalition of public and private partners, The Institute supports farmers, food systems and communities in the Upper Midwest and beyond through a range of programs and initiatives. We believe agriculture can sustain both human and ecosystem health, while advancing food security, independence, and justice. Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for news and events.

About Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC)

AGC is a network of farmers, millers, maltsters, bakers, chefs, food manufacturers, brewers, distillers, researchers, and advocates working together to strengthen a regenerative grainshed in the Midwest. We facilitate a network to create and strengthen relationships along the grain supply chain throughout our region. We connect farmers, processors, makers, and advocates, develop resources, and build awareness of regional grains.

About University of Wisconsin–Madison Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN)

OGRAIN is a collaborative program of UW–Madison dedicated to supporting organic grain farmers in the Upper Midwest. Bringing together researchers, educators, and experienced farmers, OGRAIN offers training, field days, conferences, and resources to help growers succeed in organic production. By advancing knowledge and building community, OGRAIN works to strengthen organic grain systems that benefit farmers, consumers, and the environment.

About North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)

North Central SARE strengthens communities, increases producers' economic viability, and improves the environment through grants and education. 

About Michigan Agriculture Advancement (MiAA)

MiAA empowers alternatives to the commodity agriculture system that has prioritized production efficiencies at the expense of farm resiliency, production flexibility, food value, and environmental impacts.  MiAA supports the work of innovative farmers building soil health and diversifying crop rotations. Recognizing the value of these changes extends beyond the farm through limited environmental impacts and enhanced local food economies, MiAA works for policies and investments to achieve a stronger agriculture system in Michigan.