Oats were once a major Minnesota crop, with about 4 million acres planted annually on average until the early 1960s. But in 2025, oats accounted for only 195,000 planted acres in Minnesota, and those oats were used mostly for livestock feed and straw bedding. Meanwhile, corn planted in 2025 covered more than 8 million acres in the state.
'Deon' oat variety, released in 2013 by the University of Minnesota. Named to honor Deon Stuthman. U of MN oat breeder from 1966-2009. His U of MN, Agricultural Experiment Station research project was #13-019, "Oat Breeding and Genetics."
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MN-Amber, a 2026 University of Minnesota-bred oat variety introduction, grows on the Cunningham Farm in Pipestone.
Oat breeding project at the University of Minnesota. Kevin Smith is the principal investigator, team leader.
