Establishing Native Prairie and Wildflower Seed as a Practical Cash Crop for Limited Resource and Beginning Farmers

Commodities

Practices

The demand for native seed in the United States has rapidly increased due to several significant environmental and cultural trends.  In 2020 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine conducted an assessment of the need for native seed and the current capacity for their supply, finding that the supply for native seed materials remains volatile and native seed shortages are still commonplace across the country, but particularly in western states.  USDA has identified that recruiting new farmers, urban and rural, is crucial to ensuring food security, food safety, and the overall sustainability of agricultural communities.  USDA states that high start up costs, and limited access to land are the two largest barriers to beginning farmers.  If we hope to recruit new blood into agriculture we must identify and promote realistic and viable farming enterprises that can be done WITH limited access to land and capital.  The goal of this project is to inspire and educate limited resource and beginning farmers in South Dakota and across the country of how native seed production can be a viable enterprise where patience, careful observation, and sweat equity can provide most of the tools you need to get started.  

Solution:

Twelve species of flowering broadleaf plants native to northeast South Dakota will be planted in small production plots <1000 sq foot but no smaller than 150 sq feet depending on species. The size of the individual plots and the methods for planting will likely vary from species to species depending on the needs and characteristics of said species.  Planting will occur in the early spring of 2025, selected seed will be procured before the project begins and will be cold stratified for the appropriate amount of time before spring planting.  Species direct seeded will be planted using a modified dibble and dribble or hand trench method.  Species planted by plugs will be planted into black weed barrier planted in a grid layout. The growing season of 2025 will be dedicated to the establishment of the plots by Ben, Kelli, and Kristen.  If any species produce a viable crop in year one we will harvest and test data.  In year two we aim to have a harvestable crop of most species we plan to trial.  All plots will be hand harvested and processed using basic lawn and garden equipment.   We intend to demonstrate various sustainable practices including mulching, no-till or limited till planting methods, and the implementation of an integrated pest management plan for weeds and insects that leans heavily on cultural control methods. Harvest dates will range from July through late September.  All seed harvested will be weighed and subject to on farm germination tests.  

Objectives: Below is a short timeline of key objectives for this project.

• Establish Plots Spring 2025
• Periodically collect photo and written documentation of all plots during establishment phase with bi-weekly monitoring for final guidance book
• Harvest test and determine economics of any plots in year 1 that may have a viable crop
• First farm tour in fall of 2025 to generate interest in the project
• Begin harvest and data collection July of second year.  
• Complete harvest of all viable crops by September of second year
• Host second farm tour in October 2026 with preliminary results and data from early season crops to provide to prospective growers
• Compile data final data and field notes for all species and complete educational materials.
• Share results through speaking engagements, articles and social media outlets