The Prairie Farm Podcast

In part 1 of our FAQ mini series, we answer the following questions.
1. How long does it take for a prairie planting to become established?2. How do I prepare the site for planting?3. Is tilling or breaking up the soil recommended before planting?4. When is the best time of year to sow native prairie seeds?5. How do I handle maintenance (mowing) in the first year? 6. How high should I mow in the first two years, and when should I stop?7. Should I water or fertilize my newly planted prairie?
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, backyard prairie, native wildflowers and grasses, hunting habitat, and more)
 
Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop, waterway mixes, small grains, and more)
 
McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

Andrew Di Alessandro of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joins the Prairie Farm Podcast to discuss Neil Smith Refuge, prairie restoration, prescribed fire, bison and elk grazing, private lands conservation, funding challenges, and how landowners can connect money, recreation and legacy to meaningful habitat work across Iowa and Illinois.
 
Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your CRP, Backyard Prairie, Native Pasture, Hunting Mixes, and more)
 
McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)
 
BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supply needs, and all your bird dog supply needs)

On this Coffee Time episode, Nicolas and Kent crack into the global nut industry (forgive the pun), from California almonds and pistachios to pecans, cashews, and peanuts. They talk water use, pollination, pricing, supply chains, and why legumes might matter more in native prairie establishment than we usually give them credit for here.
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP mixes, backyard prairie mixes, hunting mixes, and more)
 
Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop and small grain and cool season forage needs)

Another of Doug Duren's quarterly episodes where we have a wide ranging conversation on turkey habitat, savanna restoration, Aldo Leopold, chainsaw stories, and native landscapes. The crew digs into why habitat is the answer, why native plants matter, and how restoring prairie brings back birds, bugs, and the wildness we need.

Senior Environmental Scientist for EOR Kevin Griggs joins us to talk reed canary grass, wetland restoration, Iowa water quality, tile drainage, data centers, and the hard truth behind conservation work. His conservation conversation is practical, honest, and hopeful.
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your wetland mixes, backyard prairie mixes, CRP mixes, hunting mixes, and more)
 
Iowa Cover Crop (for all your small grain, cover crop, and forage mixes)
 
McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

This week on Coffee Time Wednesday, we dig into everything shaking up commodity markets heading into summer. It's complicated with a lot of nuance, so grab your coffee cup, and let's jump in!
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, backyard prairie, and hunting habitat mixes)
 
birdhuntersupply.com (for all your bird hunting equipment and bird dog equipment)

Mark Schneider, development and marketing manager of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, joins the Prairie Farm Podcast to talk about the real Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and how he became the "world's first celebrity".hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seeds, CRP, hunting habitat needs)
 
McKay Insurance (for all your financial advising and insurance needs)
 
Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop, forage mixes, waterway mixes and more)

We dig into two big conservation stories... the Trump administration's memo opening select national park lands and wildlife refuges to hunting, and the BLM's decision to revoke American Prairie Reserve's bison grazing leases. We weigh both sides honestly and talk about what it means for the long game.
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for CRP, backyard pollinator, native pasture mixes, and more)
 
BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird dog and bird hunting supplies)

Travis Frank, host of The Flush TV show and podcast, joins Kent, and Nicolas in Minnesota for a wide-ranging conversation on upland bird hunting and habitat. From Iowa pheasants and Kansas quail restoration to hunting dogs and conservation philosophy, this one covers a lot of ground worth covering.hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your habitat mixes, CRP mixes, and other native seed needs)
 
IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop, small grain, and non row crop seed needs)

Nicolas, Kent, and Riley break in the new studio with a conversation about society's spring lawn routine. They dig into No Mow May, what actually started it, what a 2023 peer review found, and which common lawn weeds genuinely help native bees.
 
hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your backyard prairie, pollinator mixes, habitat mixes, and native seed consultation)
 
MckayInsAgency.com (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)
 
BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies)