Aug. 28, 2025 The Midwest Center For Investigative Reporting
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Why Iowa and Minnesota oat growers face a tough climb amidst big corn
Residents of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, have grown accustomed to the smell of oats roasting at the local Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids. But the oats fueling that familiar aroma are from 1,000 miles away in Canada. Now, a growing movement of farmers is trying to change that.
In a new story for Investigate Midwest, Erin Jordan looks at why growing oats in Iowa and surrounding states is not an easy sell. The region is corn and soybean country, but those crops can – unlike oats – require a large amount of fertilizer, hybrid seeds and crop insurance.
Supporters of oats also say it's better for the environment.
“We have to raise something different than corn and soybeans or raise corn and soybeans differently if we’re going to affect nitrates,” said Martin Larsen, who grows oats on his farm near Byron, Minnesota. “We have hundreds and hundreds of data points of groundwater samples below oats compared to corn and soybeans, and it's black and white that oats will reduce nitrates in groundwater.”
There’s a growing market for oats as new processing facilities open, but Erin’s story offers an inside look at all the hurdles the oat industry faces in this corn and soybean-dominant region.
— Ben Felder, editor in chief
Tariff escalations trigger another decline in US farm exports to China
By Mónica Cordero, Investigate Midwest
The tariff wars waged by President Trump’s two administrations have reshaped U.S. agricultural trade with China.
The first trade war, in 2018 and 2019, opened the door for South American countries to gain market share in soybean and corn sales to China.
Unlike the first, this second trade war is global in scope. Its full repercussions remain to be seen, but the latest trade figures with China offer an early glimpse of what may lie ahead.
ICYMI: The warning signs were there
By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest
Last December, Investigate Midwest reported on a study warning that another Trump trade war with China could devastate U.S. farmers and accelerate deforestation in South America. The analysis found that U.S. soybean growers would lose their largest buyer, and South American competitors would rush to fill the gap by clearing more land for crops.
That warning is now showing up in the numbers. New trade data in this week’s Data Harvest shows U.S. farm exports to China dropped sharply over the past year.
Sunset on the Farm 2025
When: Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, 5–8 p.m. CST
Where: Walker Homestead, 3867 James Ave. SW, Iowa City
Tickets: From $28.52 (children under 5 free)
What’s included: Unlimited pizza and salad, live music, sunflower to take home
Extras: Silent auction, cash wine bar, and s’mores by the fire
Join us for a live online discussion
Investigate Midwest will host its first live virtual panel on Sept. 18, bringing together leading voices in policy, labor, and immigrant advocacy to examine one of the most pressing questions facing America’s food system:
What happens when immigration enforcement targets the very workers who help keep it alive?
- Katelin Cruz of Western Illinois Dreamers
- Daniel Costa of the Economic Policy Institute
- Jose Oliva of the HEAL Food Alliance
- State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez, D-Chicago
The hourlong discussion will start promptly at 12 p.m. CT. (The discussion will be recorded and shared out to the public at a later date.)
Investigate Midwest is an independent, nonprofit newsroom. Our mission is to serve the public as a watchdog over influential agricultural corporations and institutions through in-depth and data-driven investigative journalism.
