Prairie On Farms
Making Prairie Practical
The Prairie on Farms Program aims to increase the use of prairie as a resilient, multifunctional conservation practice, and to ensure its long-term value in the agricultural landscape.
What we do:
- Staff a Help Desk for rural landowners with prairie-related questions
- Publish an annually updated list of native seed and service providers
- Conduct and share research on cost-effective CRP practices
Prairie strips demonstration sites and field days
New initiatives:
- Developing guidance for landowners on brush management in CRP fields
- Sharing information on native seed prices and the process of buying native seed
Past and Current Collaborators
Funding: University of Northern Iowa, U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa Nutrient Research Center, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Economic Development Authority, The New York Community Trust, U.S. Department of Agriculture North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Disaster Resilience Grant to Iowa, Sitka Gear Ecosystem Grant, and the Friends of the Tallgrass Prairie Center.
Project Partners: Iowa State University STRIPS, Iowa State University Borlaug Learning Center, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever, Monarch Joint Venture, Women Food and Agriculture Network, AmeriCorps Land and Water Stewards, Iowa State University Extension, The Xerces Society, The Sand County Foundation, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Hertz Farm Management, Peoples Company, and Iowa Watershed Approach.
