Expanding Native Seed Production for Agriculture Resilience and Restoration in Wyoming

Commodities

• Additional Plants: native plants

Practices

• Crop Production: application rate management, cover crops, drought tolerance, fertilizers, irrigation, pollination, water management
• Education and Training: demonstration, on-farm/ranch research, participatory research, technical assistance, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study, new enterprise development
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, habitat enhancement, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, field monitoring/scouting, integrated pest management, soil solarization
• Production Systems: agroecosystems, dryland farming
• Sustainable Communities: employment opportunities, new business opportunities, sustainability measures

Wyoming's native seed supply chain is critical to rangeland restoration, yet most seed used in the state is produced elsewhere. Despite nearly $4 million spent annually on native seed, limited in-state production constrains access to locally adapted plant materials and limits economic opportunities for producers. At the same time, agricultural producers face growing pressure to diversify operations and build resilience to drought, pests, and declining ecosystem services. Native forb seed production offers a promising diversification strategy that supports pollinators, enhances biodiversity, and strengthens restoration outcomes. Expanding regional production would increase availability of locally adapted materials for large-scale restoration and create new market opportunities. However, producers currently lack reliable information on cultivation practices, ecosystem benefits, and the economic feasibility of native seed production.

This project will evaluate the feasibility of integrating native forb seed production into working agricultural systems in Wyoming. Field trials will be conducted at The Nature Conservancy's Native Seed Nursery and on two participating producers' farms to develop cultivation protocols for three native forb species. Experiments will examine irrigation and fertilizer treatments and measure plant establishment, survival, growth, bloom density, and seed yield. To better understand ecosystem services associated with native plant production, the project will also monitor pollinator visitation and survey beneficial arthropods and pest species within research plots. A cost-benefit analysis will be conducted using production inputs, labor, and yield data to assess the economic viability of native forb seed production under realistic market conditions.

Research findings will be paired with hands-on education to reduce barriers for producers interested in entering the native seed market. Outreach activities will include field tours, producer workshops, and educational materials such as species fact sheets describing cultivation practices, seed harvesting and cleaning techniques, and management considerations. Project findings will also be shared through social media posts, short educational videos, and presentations at regional conferences focused on native seed production and restoration.

Expected outcomes include the development of cultivation guidelines for three native forb species, improved understanding of ecosystem services associated with native plant production, and an economic assessment of native forb seed production systems. By providing practical production knowledge and economic information, this project will enable producers to evaluate native seed production as a diversification strategy while supporting the development of a more resilient regional native seed supply chain.

Research Objectives

1. Determine cultivation protocols for three native forb species by conducting field trials and recording observations on establishment, integrated pest and disease management, irrigation and fertilizer inputs, and harvesting techniques. Feasibility will be quantified by measuring survivability and seed yield, and viability.
2. Evaluate whether integrating native forb species into agricultural systems enhances ecosystem services by quantifying pollinator visitation and the abundance of beneficial arthropods and natural enemies associated with each species.
3. Conduct a cost-benefit analysis to determine the economic viability of producing native forb seed at this scale under realistic operating conditions.

Educational Objectives

1. Reach at least 10 producers and 40 community members through hands-on outreach activities, including field tours and workshops, by the end of the grant period.
2. Develop and distribute educational materials, including species fact sheets, for three native forb species to support producers and others interested in native plant production.
3. Disseminate project outcomes through a structured outreach program that includes a series of social media posts, short educational videos documenting project processes and key insights, and presentations at two professional conferences.