Native Seed Scoop - Winter 2022

Events

What’s Your Scoop?

Have something to share with other native seed stakeholders? Send your news tips to laura.walter@uni.edu.

You can also join our native seed listserv to post news and questions directly to the group. Email laura.walter@uni.edu to join.

New TPC Seed Collections

Laura Walter, TPC Plant Materials Program Manager, was on the road this fall, visiting remnant prairies, sedge meadows, and fens in search of species to develop for new ecotypes. In keeping with Iowa Ecotype Project practices, she looked for several populations of each species across a zone within Iowa.

From left to right: Flat-topped aster (Doellingeria umbellata) in flower and setting seed, a large remnant population in a Fayette County ditch, and hand-cleaned seed.

For new seed releases, the TPC is aligning our zone boundaries with the climate-based “Provisional Seed Zone” maps developed by the US Forest Service. A map of our 2021 collections of flat-topped aster, Doellingeria umbellata, is available at this link: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1tapL7xRmaSsZA8HqweCHbVH971PRNDjL&usp=sharing

The TPC appreciates our partners at the DNR Prairie Resource Center and USDA North Central Region Plant Introduction Station for help in locating plant populations and sharing seed. If you are interested in helping with these efforts, please contact Laura at laura.walter@uni.edu.

Three Iowa Native Seed Growers

Laura Walter visited three Iowa native seed and plant growers this fall. She was impressed by their knowledge about growing diverse plant species, the variety of techniques they employ, and their creativity in designing, building, or repurposing equipment to plant, harvest, and clean seed. As Carroll Hoksbergen of Hoksey Native Seeds puts it, “I’m always MacGyvering.”

Bill Buman and daughter Chelsey Olsen (above) own and operate Back Yard Designs in Harlan, Iowa. From left to right: One of the sedge fields they’re known for, seen through the truck window. The custom fanning mill that Bill designed and built himself. Bill checks the corm size of Liatris aspera seedlings they started last summer. Bill and Chelsey show Laura (at left in the last picture) around some of their favorite Loess Hills vantage points.

Carroll Hoksbergen, founder of Hoksey Native Seed near Lynneville, Iowa, first planted Indiangrass as part of a USDA set-aside program in the 1980s. After he discovered a small prairie remnant in a corner of his pasture following his first prescribed burn (above left), he was inspired to start growing Iowa source prairie seed. Parts of two old combines have been “Macgyvered” to thresh and sift seed prior to additional steps in the cleaning shed (center). Hoksey sells or rents unique drop seeders (right) with built-in wheels for towing behind a truck to a planting site.

Bob Wubben, owner of Blooming Prairie Nursery near Carlisle, Iowa, sells mostly native prairie nursery stock but also harvests seed from his reconstructed prairie (left) and from plants grown in totes made from repurposed containers from a cereal manufacturer (center). Bob is very interested in soil health and produces several proprietary blends of vermicompost with other organic amendments for use in containers, gardens, and field applications.

Without the hard work and ingenuity of Iowa native seed growers there would not be enough Iowa Source-Identified seed for roadsides and other prairie reconstructions. If you are a native seed producer who would like us to visit, please email laura.walter@uni.edu.

Summaries of recent research publications.

Genetic differentiation of populations restored using regional seed (2021)

Carbon storage linked to prairie plant diversity (2021)

Prescribed fire stimulates and synchronizes flowering in Echinacea angustifolia (2020)

Native Plant Awareness, Outreach, and Marketing

Planting Prairie 101 from Iowa DNR - How to buy and harvest seeds (first part in a series)

CRP in the City educates the community of Mechanicsville, Iowa

Illinois prairies need intensive care (mobilizing volunteers to protect and restore remnant prairies)

The 2022 Perennial Plant of the Year is Schizachyrium scoparium, little bluestem

Tallgrass Prairie Center 2021 Highlights

To find out more about what’s been happening in all TPC programs and projects lately, read our 2020-2021 Highlights.

In memorium

We were saddened to hear of Neal Smith’s passing in November 2021 and grateful for his service to the State of Iowa and especially his deep, lifelong love of nature and the outdoors.