Our oat seeds were planted in early April, and the growing season began.

About a month later, I started driving around to visit our oat fields and see how the young plants were doing. Wyoming weather can still feel like winter in the spring, and we had several very cold days. During the first four weeks, the oats had not grown very much yet.

Photo: April 29, 2026

By May, the weather became warmer, and the oats began to grow. By early June—about two months after planting—the plants had reached approximately one foot tall.  

At this stage, it was still too early for our detailed field inspections because the oats had not yet headed out. 

Photo: June 8, 2026

A couple of weeks later, however, the oat heads began to appear.

This is when our field inspection process begins. I prepare our inspection forms, review with our team what we are looking for and how we conduct the inspections, schedule inspection dates, and coordinate with our growers and the Wyoming Seed Certification program.

Photo: June 23, 2026

We believe that making multiple visits to our fields during the growing season is an important part of producing our gluten-free oats. By personally inspecting the fields and monitoring the growing process, we work to identify potential risks and help protect the integrity of our oats.

From the tiny seeds planted in the cold Wyoming spring to the beautiful green fields growing under the summer sun, it is exciting to watch the progress every year. For me, this is one of the most rewarding parts of our journey—watching the oats grow and knowing that, step by step, we are working toward producing oats we are proud to share with our customers.

June 28^th, 2026

Noriko Tenhulzen