Oat futures' recent surge to 7-year highs wasn't caused by the oat milk craze; think "market psychology" instead Generally speaking, the idea of oats is about as exciting as, well, a bowl of steel cut oatmeal. But this chart of oat futures shows why this ordinarily ordinary grain has stolen the commodity spotlight. For starters, February 2021 saw oat prices soar to their highest level in 7 years. As for what's behind this newfound dev- oat-tion -- mainstream experts like these below cite the craze for alternative milk products and oat milk specifically. "Oat Milk is Everywhere.... In fact, oat milk is the second most popular plant milk now, right behind almond milk, racking up over $249 million in sales last year." (Feb. 9 Today.com)