At Bald Hill Farm and other properties, we are restoring old fields to native prairie habitat. This requires several seasons of non-native vegetation removal so that we can start with a “blank slate” for seeding.
Seeds of native flowers and grasses are much more expensive than seeds you can buy at your local farm and garden store, and it is important that we give them a good start, with as little competition as possible.
Our stewardship staff has been busy this fall getting the seed into the soil before the rains come. This year alone we have planted 167 acres with 1,700 pounds of seed from 77 different native species with an average price of $100 per pound.
One way we do this is with a specialized “no-till drill” towed behind a tractor. Seeds are loaded into a hopper with compartments that can be adjusted based on the size of the seed. As the drill moves over the ground it makes a very shallow furrow which catches the seed, followed by a wheel that gently presses it into the prepared soil.
All this work will pay off in the spring with the once bare soil bursting with green growth, transforming stark fields into an ever-changing palette of wildflowers and grasses.
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October 18th
Join the Thursday Volunteer Stewar
Hope you can join us for this fun day of learning and planting. Our fields will be full of nat
