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Well, it seems that this would be a good idea, if we didn't have to mill it.
here are some comments:

I know a lot of people who grow oats but they are in large fields and have
huge machines. They plant them, forget them and harvest them. You could do
it by hand if you had several acres of land.
I tried oats for myself, eating them each day for breakfast to see if I was
one of the Celiacs who could eat them.  After two weeks I still saw no sign
of a reaction to them and if they had been going to bother me I would have
known 12 hours after eating them the first time.  The only way you will
know if you can eat them is to try them yourself.


Have you tried oatmeal by McCann's??  I have been Celiac 2 years with
extensive damage and very sensitive.  I read, read, read about oats and
researched McCann's.  The "risk" is no different than other GF processed
foods that have possibilities of contamination.  People even dine out! (not
me) taking greater risks!  I posted several writings about a year ago on
this listserve.  Please read them.  Also, as a result of this, Gluten Free
Pantry decided to sell McCann's.  I have created several recipes and eat
their oatmeal by the bowlful!  Nothing like it!!  oats has a beard and each
kernel in the beard has to be shelled out  after it's ripe(golden color)
then  this can be cooked, but of course I don't believe in pure oats at all
and i'm sure after you consume enough oatmeal the stomach aches will
eventually begin.
I grew up on a farm.

A member of our support group grew oats for her celiac husband.  She found
that it was easy to grow (we live in CT), but that it was impossible to
process the oats to make oatmeal with equipment one might have or be able
to purchase at a consumer level.

 recently read that a member from this other excellent group:
http://forums.delphiforums.com/celiac/messages/?ctx=16
had sowed oats and had a very good crop, but the problem was to mill it.
The crop was lost because she didn't find any company to mill it without
cross-contamination.

It would be much easier to switch to Pocono's Cream of Buckwheat. It is
marked wheat and g/f on the box. I eat it every day and consider it to be
better and more nutritional than oats and it actually lowers your
cholesterol.  www.thebirkettmills.com

I was brought up on a small farm in TN where almost everyone grew oats or
wheat.  You had to haul the grain to a thrashing machine where the oats and
chaff were separated.  I guess you could do it by hand and I have heard
people talking about grinding grains.  If I liked oats that much I would
take a chance on McCann's(spelling?) oats but then I am not a sensitive
celiac.  I have T-1 diabetes and DH also.

* Please remember some posters may be WHEAT-FREE, but not GLUTEN-FREE *