From Minnesota Public Radio, Reseeding the prairie:
In nearly all Minnesota farm fields, fall is harvest time. In a very few locations, the tables are turned. In those places, autumn can also be a time to plant. Take for example a soybean field in southwest Minnesota that's being returned to its historical roots. The seeds of change are native prairie plants.
After reading the feature, it seems both simple and brilliant that the seeds best suited for this are those from a seed source that match the terrain and soil.
What are the benefits to reseeding the prairie?
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Julia Schrenkler
Minnesota Public Radio Interactive Producer
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Comments: 5
A. Is this guy doing it on his property or public property?
B. If private property, are we paying for it to go to prairieland instead of farmland?
C. Is the guy growing prairie grasses for seed for replanting? Who buys it? Do they make more money than soybeans? Can farmers make more money than growing beans?
D. Is he doing as part of a DNR program? His own land? Who's land?
Mark Steil clarifies, "The DNR harvests seed off state owned prairie parcels and then uses the seed on other state owned land. As far as I know, the DNR doesn't sell any seed."
Are you looking to buy some?
Seems like this farmer either makes enough money and doesn't want to deal with the land any more (a retiring farmer with no one to give the land too) so gave it away and will plant the prairie stuff. Or the land is in such bad shape to be useful and costs more that it's worth to farm so he gave it away but planted it with prairie stuff. The DNR may have made him a tax deal also that would have benefitted him.