Cool Season Grass vs. Warm Season Grass for CRP

Establishing native grasses through CRP provides many benefits for both landowners and the environment. Native grasses protect soil from wind and rain while allowing it to regenerate precious nutrients. They also keep local water clean by reducing runoff. Meanwhile, local wildlife such as deer and pheasants depend on native grasses for shelter and food.   Once […]

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Celebrate Pollinator Week by Creating Pollinator Habitat

The 14th annual National Pollinator Week is taking place from June 22-28, 2020. This is a chance to show appreciation and raise awareness for the pollinating species in the US. Without the presence of pollinators like bees, butterflies, birds, and even moths, farmlands would suffer from smaller yields and lower quality crops.   Inadequate pollination can affect the size and also the flavor of food crops.  And so, it’s important

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Big Bluestem – A Tall, Thick Bunchgrass That’s Great for CRP

With its distinct spikelet tips that split from its stem like little turkey feet, Andropogon gerardi is the most prominent plant of America’s tallgrass plains. Of course, most people know it as big bluestem. Not to be confused with little bluestem, which we discussed last week, big bluestem is an entirely separate type of warm season bunchgrass.  As you might

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Common Mistakes Made When Establishing CRP

Even for the seasoned farmer, establishing CRP for the first time can prove to be tricky. The types of seed and equipment used in CRP are different from traditional crop seed and farming equipment. The end goal is different as well. Rather than planting farm crops that you’ll be harvesting in a few months, you’re establishing native perennial (and biennial) vegetation that will remain in place for at least

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Preparing Land for CRP

As with traditional farming, the first step to planting CRP is land preparation. With CRP, however, you’re not planting row crops that will be harvested in a few months. You’re establishing native vegetation that will stay in place for at least 10-15 years. Land prep is critical to long term success.  The key to preparing land for

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Adding Little Bluestem to Your CRP Seed Mix

Looking for a durable native warm season grass to plant in your CRP establishment? Schizachyrium scoparium, better known as little bluestem, is definitely worth consideration. This perennial bunchgrass can be found in almost every state and is especially prominent across the prairies of the Midwest.  In fact, it’s the official state grass of Nebraska and Kansas.   Little bluestem grows best in the full

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The State of Monarch Butterflies and Why it Matters

The monarch butterfly is undoubtedly the most famous of its species in the US. This iconic pollinator can be found in any given state through the spring and summer. Or at least, it could.  Over the past 25 years, the population of the monarch butterfly has decreased by 80%. At this rate, the species could be extinct two decades from now. Though it

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Using Butterfly Weed in Pollinator Habitat Establishment

Asclepias tuberosa, better known as butterfly weed, is a type of milkweed originating from eastern North America. Despite the name, butterfly weed is a very helpful plant, especially for pollinators. As a type of milkweed, it can play a vital role in the lifecycle of monarch butterflies.  Butterfly weed usually grows between 1 ½ feet to 3 feet tall, producing clusters of vibrant, orange flowers. These radiant flowers are known to draw in butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, bees, and more.  Butterfly weed

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