Weatherbury Farm Grain Tracker
From Planting to Harvest, Gehl Oats (Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour & Oat Groats) in the field:
Preparing the seedbed for the oats. In the background, a tractor is plowing the field. In the foreground, another tractor is smoothing the seedbed with a power harrow.
Planting the oats on the prepared seedbed.
The planter also has a power harrow behind it which gives a smooth surface for maximum germination..
The oats, two weeks after planting, have germinated .
The oats, one month after planting, are growing on.
The oats, 2 1/2 month after seeding, have certainly grown!
The heads are beginning to emerge.
3+ months after planting. You can see the oats forming on the plants.
At Weatherbury Farm, we plant in contour strips with hay fields in between grain fields. Contour farming is a sustainable farming practice that reduces soil erosion on sloped fields.
In this photo, Glenn Wheat is the grain in the very foreground; the 2nd and 3rd grain fields are Gehl Oats. In between the grain fields, there are green hay fields.
In this photo you can see the clover that was frost seeded into the oats in late March.
Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour & Oat Groats in the Field!
The oats are drying down and are almost ready for harvest.
The blackbirds agree — Weatherbury Farm’s oats are the best.
(The black specks around the date are the black birds)
We harvest the mature oats with our Gleaner Combine. The oats are stored in the bin on the combine while the straw and chaff are expelled from the back of the combine.
The straw is either baled for use on the farm on left on the fields, where it will increase the organic matter in the soil.
Unloading the oats from the combine into the wagon for transport back to Weatherbury Farm.
On the farm the oats will be triple cleaned.
Gehl Hull-less Oats Facts 2023
Gehl Oats 2023 Fields
In 2023, Gehl Hull-less Oats were grown in Independence Township on 4 fields totaling 8.133 acres on the farm established by Robert Leggett in 1815. Leggett had holdings totally 585 acres in the area and raised 1000 sheep. In addition to being a farmer, he was a breeder and dealer of 1st class Spanish sheep (Merino). Today the farm still raises sheep. Weatherbury Farm transitioned this land from conventional in 2013 and it was certified organic in 2015.
The oats were planted on March 22, 2023.
Clover was inter-seeded on the oats field on March 29 & 30, 2023. (The clover suppresses weeds, aids in holding up the oats and eventually will be next year’s hay crop. In our crop rotation, hay follows oats.)
The oats were harvested on July 26, 2023.
At the 2023 Washington County Fair, both the sheaf of Gehl Oats and the jar of Gehl Oats won 1st place.
For an illustrated explanation of how Weatherbury grains become flour (and how Gehl hull-less Oats become rolled oats), visit the from seed to flour page.
About Gehl Hull-less Oats
Gehl is the first bald-seeded hulless oat; the hull threshes free from the oat groat which means it can be rolled “live” rather than being steamed prior to rolling.
Products from Gehl Hull-less Oats
After we harvest our oats, they are triple-cleaned and rolled or milled, with none of the processing used in producing commercial rolled oats. Thus, Weatherbury Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour and Weatherbury Oat Groats have their natural vitality, nutrients and flavor.
Health benefits of Oats
Oats are incredibly nutritious. They are a good source of carbs and fiber and are loaded with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Additionally, oats contain a beta-glucan, a fiber found to be very effective in lowering cholesterol. Oats also have avenanthramides, an antioxidant unique to oats, which may help protect blood vessels from the damaging effects of LDL cholesterol and keep blood pressure low.
Weatherbury’s oats are rolled “live;” commercial oats are steamed before rolling. Thus, none of Weatherbury’s Rolle Oats’ vitality, flavor or nutrients are lost in the process.
More Information
Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour and Oat Groats can be ordered either for our monthly on-farm pickup or you can have your order sent to you.
To read more about Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour and Oat Groats, please visit our products page.
More information on Rolled Oats, Whole Oat Flour, Oat Groats and other grains grown at Weatherbury Farm are on the grains we grow page .