Field equipment for grain production on modest acreages and diversified farm operations

This Extension manual provides an introduction to grain production equipment appropriate for small- and medium-scale farmers new to grain growing as well as considerations for sourcing affordable and reliable farming implements. It also incorporates the experience of farmers and tractor mechanics who have grown small grains for many years, worked on small grain equipment, or have direct, recent experience adding grain enterprises to diversified farm operations. Topics addressed in this manual include equipment needed to add a grain enterprise (1), a review of production equipment from field preparation to harvest (2), considerations for equipment selection (3), and sourcing grain production equipment (4). This publication focuses mostly on used and older equipment considering that many diversified farms, and those operating on modest acreages, cannot afford to invest in new and larger-scale grain production equipment

Growing barley in western Washington

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is a versatile, low-input grain which is grown as a part of diverse western Washington cropping systems. Due to the generally high rainfall and moderate temperatures in western Washington, yields of small grains such as barley can be substantially higher than those grown under dryland conditions in eastern Washington. In western Washington, small grains are beneficial as rotational crops in that they can break disease and pest cycles, be used as a transition crop during pasture renovation, and rest the soil between the more intensive cash crops such as bulbs and tubers. A local grain economy, where processors use regionally grown grains, can help farmers in western Washington market barley at a higher price. Barley is a versatile grain that can be used for animal feed, human food, and to produce malt for beer and whiskey. This publication addresses general variety selection, marketing, production, and pest management information for barley grown in western Washington

Growing winter malting barley west of the Cascades

Growing malting barley is increasingly being considered by farmers west of the Cascades to serve emerging craft brewing and distilling markets and to function as a rotation crop for horticultural crops, such as potatoes or vegetable and grass seed. Several publications provide information on growing barley generally and the prospects for a malting barley industry in the region. This publication provides a succinct resource for those preparing to grow winter malting barley