Prairie & Meadow Strips
Table of Contents
Introduction
Prairie strips or meadow strips (depending on the native ecology in your part of the world) are vegetative strips of plants native to your local grasslands.
On this page the terms will be used interchangeably, but you can mentally translate to whichever is appropriate to your own location.
Benefits of Meadow Strips
Biodiversity
Pollinator Food & Habitat
A prairie strip is more or less the same as a pollinator garden or native garden, in that is relies on native plant species to support your local pollinators and other wildlife.
Wildlife Corridors
Farmland uses more land than any other human activity. In the process we've dissected and changed almost half of Earth's habitable land for growing food, medicines, and various materials.
Habitat loss and fragmentation is a leading cause of species loss in certain areas, particularly in heavily-farmed places. Fragmentation might not be as bad as total loss of a habitat, but it puts many species at increased risk of starvation, inbreeding, disease, wild fires, floods, and other disasters.
By creating and maintaining wildlife corridors such as prairie/meadow strips, riparian borders, and hedgerows, we help rebuild and preserve vital transit routes, food sources, as well as water access (in the case of riparian zones) for wildlife which might otherwise die off from lack of resources or inability to preproduce.
Pollution Management
"By planting at least 10% of a corn or soybean field to prairie strips, benefits include:
44% reduction in water runoff
95% reduction in soil loss
90% reduction in phosphorus runoff
84% reduction in nitrate-nitrogen runoff" - Missouri Prairie Foundation: Prairie Strips
Erosion Control
Water Pollution
Since farms use so much land, synthetic chemicals, and livestock manure, farmland is often a major source of run off pollution that enters waterways.
Problems with Prairie Strips
These strips require a little maintenance here and there. Mostly the occasional mow - maybe once or twice a year, as well as some weeding, to help keep out any invasive species.
Using mowers or other gas-powered equipment can result in landscaping pollution, so using alternatives such as prescribed fire may be the more ecological solution.
They may need some watering during droughts. Depending on your region's weather patterns and biological needs, it may be advisable to use prescribed fire now and then to replenish the soil and help certain species germinate.
Apps & Tools
Bee Score: Flower Finder "Select the flowers you have in your garden, then hit continue to find out your current bee kind score. If you’re not sure exactly which plants you have, try clicking the filters on and off to help identify the bee-friendly flowers in your garden." This is hosted by and for UK residents, so you won't get a bonus for "native species" if you live outside the UK, and might see your local natives listed as "non-native" or get an "invasive penalty" even if those plants are fine where you live, but this is still a fun and educational resource.
Europe
UK
Bee Score: Flower Finder "Select the flowers you have in your garden, then hit continue to find out your current bee kind score. If you’re not sure exactly which plants you have, try clicking the filters on and off to help identify the bee-friendly flowers in your garden." This is hosted by and for UK residents, so you won't get a bonus for "native species" if you live outside the UK, and might see your local natives listed as "non-native" or get an "invasive penalty" even if those plants are fine where you live, but this is still a fun and educational resource.
North America
USA
Tallgrass Prairie Seed Calculator "Welcome to the Tallgrass Prairie Seed Calculator, a free online tool that allows you to build a custom native prairie seed mix, estimate the cost for each mix and view contact information for Iowa's top native vendors. Created by the University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center. Click Overview for more usage details."
Resources & Guides
Europe
Ireland
National Biodiversity Data Center: Ireland's Biodiversity Learning Platform "Supporting collaborative learning on Ireland's biodiversity"
North America
USA
Iowa
Iowa State University: Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie (STRIPS) this website includes many resources including tips for establishment and management, science and publications, plus links to further resources.
Missouri
Missouri Prairie Foundation: Prairie Strips "Prairie strips (CP43) is a continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practice under the USDA’s Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) initiative. This practice reduces soil erosion, protects soil, improves water quality, stores carbon in the ground, and provides wildlife habitat. The STRIPS team (Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips) at Iowa State University developed and has been testing the practice since 2007.
Prairie strips are linear, perennial plantings of prairie grasses and wildflowers within and/or around row crop fields. Prairie strips must be between 30 and 120 foot in width and may not account for more than 25% of the cropped acres per tract. They can be established along the edge of a field (like the old CP33 buffers practice), through the field, in terrace channels along waterways, and next to pivot corners. If using CP43 cost-share to establish prairie strips, they must be in place for a 10- or 15-year contract period."
Oceana
Australia
Powerful Pollinators "is a program designed to increase the prevalence, health and diversity of pollinators in the landscape. The program encourages the strategic planting of ‘trees for bees’ and other pollinators and provides Powerful Pollinators Planting Guides developed by experienced botanists and field ecologists for use by landholders.
The Guides specify relevant information about pollinator habitat and floral resources to enable users such as land managers, Landcare groups, nurseries and gardeners to select the most appropriate indigenous species that provide value for pollinators."
North America
USA
Missouri
The CP43 Prairie Strips Practice "is continuous CRP. Unlike general CRP, it is not competitive so if your land meets requirements and acres are available, your land is accepted. The first step in enrolling is to visit your local USDA service center. In addition to annual payments, cost-share and incentives offset most of the establishment costs. Financial benefits include:
10 – 15 years of annual rental payments
Up to 50% cost share payments for establishment
5% practice incentive payment
Sign-up incentive equal to 32.5% of the first year’s rental payment
Also, the Missouri Prairie Foundation offers an Ecosystem Service Incentive payment to farmers who establish prairie strips.
In addition, the Missouri Department of Conservation is offering an incentive payment of $300 per acre of strips, provided that at least some of the strips are within row crop fields."
Organizations
Europe
UK
Earthwatch Europe’s Farming with Nature Programme "helps farmers to increase sustainability by working with natural processes, using local nutrient cycles and adapting agriculture to local conditions."
North America
Canada
Pollinator Partnership Canada "is a registered charity dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems through conservation, education, and research."
USA
Iowa
Iowa State University: Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie (STRIPS) this website includes many resources including tips for establishment and management, science and publications, plus links to further resources.
Missouri
Missouri Prairie Foundation: Prairie Strips "Prairie strips (CP43) is a continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) practice under the USDA’s Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) initiative. This practice reduces soil erosion, protects soil, improves water quality, stores carbon in the ground, and provides wildlife habitat. The STRIPS team (Science-Based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips) at Iowa State University developed and has been testing the practice since 2007.
Prairie strips are linear, perennial plantings of prairie grasses and wildflowers within and/or around row crop fields. Prairie strips must be between 30 and 120 foot in width and may not account for more than 25% of the cropped acres per tract. They can be established along the edge of a field (like the old CP33 buffers practice), through the field, in terrace channels along waterways, and next to pivot corners. If using CP43 cost-share to establish prairie strips, they must be in place for a 10- or 15-year contract period."
Maps
North America
USA
Level III Ecoregions of the Continental United States (PDF) "Ecoregions are areas where ecosystems (and the type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources) are generally similar."
Grants & Funding
North America
USA
Native Seeds/SEARCH: Community Seed Grants "seeks to find, protect and preserve the seeds of the people of the Greater Southwest so that these arid adapted crops may benefit all peoples and nourish a changing world."
"Community Seed Grants (CSG) are available for communities who are regionally and culturally connected to our seeds. They are offered to organizations working toward collective food security, seed sovereignty, traditional knowledge, education, and other efforts of community wellness and arid land stewardship. Priority is given to projects and organizations that clearly support food access and resilience for systematically marginalized communities.
Our region of focus is the Southwest United States and Northwest Mexico, which generally includes: Arizona, New Mexico, southern Utah, southern Colorado, west Oklahoma, west Texas, southern California, southern Nevada, and northwest Mexico. Native communities in arid places outside of this region may also apply.
We strive to support projects in Mexico, though due to mailing restrictions it is best if you have someone in the US who can receive and bring the seeds to Mexico.
Seed libraries are eligible to receive one pre-selected variety each year. More information about seed library grants can be found here."
Missouri
The CP43 Prairie Strips Practice "is continuous CRP. Unlike general CRP, it is not competitive so if your land meets requirements and acres are available, your land is accepted. The first step in enrolling is to visit your local USDA service center. In addition to annual payments, cost-share and incentives offset most of the establishment costs. Financial benefits include:
10 – 15 years of annual rental payments
Up to 50% cost share payments for establishment
5% practice incentive payment
Sign-up incentive equal to 32.5% of the first year’s rental payment
Also, the Missouri Prairie Foundation offers an Ecosystem Service Incentive payment to farmers who establish prairie strips.
In addition, the Missouri Department of Conservation is offering an incentive payment of $300 per acre of strips, provided that at least some of the strips are within row crop fields."
Prairie Garden Grants Program "Gardening and other conservation groups, parks, schools, and other entities in Missouri and immediately surrounding states are invited to submit proposals to MPF’s Prairie Garden Grants Program. In 2024, MPF would like to award several grants to help fund the establishment or improvement of prairie gardens or plantings. Grants will not exceed $800 each. Those with smaller projects are encouraged to apply as well. Matching funds are not required, but proposals with secured matching funds may be evaluated higher than others."