Some people love to collaborate and share ideas, and one of those people was Vern Burrows, former oat breeder at AAFC. I am sorry to tell you that Vern passed away on November 8th, in his 91st year. An article celebrating his life can be found in the "Hall of Fame" section under "Obituaries". You can also read the obituary published in the Ottawa Citizen.
Well, if you’re American, anyway! October 29th marks National Oatmeal Day every year in the USA. World Porridge Day was on the 10th of October, which is when the Golden Spurtle porridge championships were held (virtually, this time). The winner was Chris Young, from Scotland, and you can find the winning recipes here.
The video from the first “Speaking of Oats…” (SOO) webinar is now available on YouTube.
Many thanks to Nick Tinker, Martin Mascher, and Jason Fiedler for an excellent webinar, and to Tom Rabaey for introducing the series! Thank you also to Jim Bradeen (Oat Global director) and Grant Czadzeck (UMN communications team) for all of their efforts.
The first event in the new "Speaking of Oats..." Oat Global webinar series is now open for registration! Please click on the "Speaking of Oats..." button on the left hand side of the page or go here for all the details!
Happy Crop Wild Relatives week! Every year, from September 22nd-29th, the Crop Science Society of America celebrates this occasion. On October 1st, you can join Plant Gene Resources of Canada in a celebration of their 50 years of collecting and preserving crop wild relatives. Updated information regarding registration, as well as the agenda, can be found here.
Today I have more chances for everyone to connect.
In the "Community News" section, Monica Mathias describes her new project on breeding oat varieties for those with celiac disease in Chile. She would love some feedback and collaboration!
The USDA-ARS is hiring yet another person to work with oats! This position is for a Research Agronomist/Plant Physiologist at the Integrated Cropping Systems Research Unit in Brookings, South Dakota. Responsibilities will include examining oat germplasm diversity and evaluating ecosystem benefits of growing oats.
For more information, or to apply, go here.
Best of luck to all applicants!
The USDA-ARS is advertising for another Research Geneticist. This position is at the Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research Unit in Aberdeen, ID, and is part of the project "Genetic Improvement of Barley and Oats for Enhanced Quality and Biotic Stress Resistance".
In these most trying of times, there are still opportunities to be had.
Let’s begin with the item that has the closest deadline – Grain Farmers of Ontario has put out a call for proposals. The deadline for receiving Letters of Intent is next Wednesday, July 15th.
NordGen has also put out a call for proposals. Until September 15th, companies and public institutions can submit proposals for projects aimed at adapting environmentally and climate-friendly crops by using plant genetic resources.
Copyright © 2025, the Oat Newsletter.
Sponsored by American Oat Workers
