The State

by Peter Carrels

“I am not so sure that the prairies and plains, while less stunning at first sight,

don’t last longer, fill the senses fuller, arrels eter C preclude all the rest and make North ; P arm

America’s characteristic landscape.” rairie F un P S co

— Walt Whitman, 1879 E

30 | 2013 iSSUE 4 | OUTDOOR AMERICA | THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA — and — Fate of the ofPrairie Prairie

It’s brisk and moist on an overcast autumn blades revolve over and over to penetrate and afternoon in northeastern . The turn the ground. The tandem disc is towed by a earth is muddy from last night’s rain and sleet, tractor that runs on tracks instead of tires, and but preparation for next spring’s planting is it easily moves across the land despite sticky, already underway. Cattle grazed a grassy pasture slippery conditions. here last summer. Next summer, these acres will A man operating a nimble rock picker is be growing corn. plucking stones from unplowed areas. A grow- I am watching a heavy-duty tandem disc break ing pile of rock along a fence line on one side Ivirgin prairie. Across the width of this imple- of the field is the collection point for the fruits ment are double rows of circular harrow blades, of his labor. A dump truck, its bed filled with each one bigger than a dinner plate. The boulders, is mired down in mud. The driver

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA | OUTDOOR AMERICA | 2013 ISSUE 4 | 31 From left to right: accelerates and tires spin. He idles the engine buried near the surface of the soil can break Rocks piled up and waits for the rock picker to pull him free. a ­high-priced seed planter. In this part of the beside a prairie conversion project. Then he’ll dump his load and return for more. world, rock removal is a vital part of prairie con- Sod-breaking un- As I watch the dump truck rocking back and version. A third disking after that is an option. derway. Corn as far forth in the mud, I spot a colorful stone poking The final step in the conversion process as the eye can see. through unplowed earth. I grasp the top, wiggle involves an implement — one version is called it, and finally pull it free. Like an iceberg, there’s the Turbo-Till® — that in a single pass chops more below the surface than above. It’s sizeable — residual vegetation and creates a smooth, consis- as big as a cantaloupe — and I stow it in my pack. tent seedbed. I’m a rock collector, and I save notable stones as In a matter of several weeks, a prairie that mementos from trips across the country. evolved over thousands of years will have been The tractor and disc clatter by, making completely and irretrievably undone. Corn another long trip across the land. Behind them, planting will take place in five months or so. native sod is neatly sliced and turned on its side This conversion is happening on mixed-grass or upside down in long strips. There is sym- prairie along the western fringe of today’s corn metry to the six-inch-deep cuts and the slabs of belt. Not too many years ago, pasture manage- exposed soil, with glistening green grass on one ment and cattle grazing dominated land use here. side and dark dirt on the other. This is also the heart of the prairie pothole , The plan is to wait a week or so after the known as ’s “duck factory” due to disc’s first pass on this 160-acre quarter section­ the critical nesting and breeding habitat it pro- — which will allow soil, grass, and other veg- vides for many species of far-­ranging waterfowl. etation in the broken sod to dry and start to It was the presence of so much stone that decompose — before cross-disking the entire helped keep this land in grass. Uncertain pre- tract. “The more decay, the better the tear-up,” cipitation and a shorter growing season than the explains the landowner as he walks me through rest of the corn belt also figured into land-use the process of converting native grassland to decision-making. New corn hybrids have allayed monoculture crop production. grower concerns about rainfall and climate, and After the disc is used a second time, these technological achievements dove-tailed more rock picking and digging will be done. with exploding corn prices, aided by ethanol’s arrels istock (3); photo (1) eter C Stones resting on the disked sod or partially appetite for more and more corn. P

32 | 2013 iSSUE 4 | OUTDOOR AMERICA | THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA When grain prices rose to remarkable heights, Not all farmers and grassland ranchers face land values also increased — often at a jaw- the same challenges or express the same senti- ­dropping rate. Just 20 years ago, this rocky prop- ment as the fellow I met. But the story of prairie erty was valued at hundreds of dollars per acre. conversion, no matter why or where, reveals Today, an acre of land like this fetches $3,000 an ongoing trend in that has less to $4,000 from corn farmers expanding their to do with stewardship and sustainability and operations as quickly as their income and credit more to do with the here and now of individual allow. Farm sizes are multiplying, and the tempta- farmers taking advantage of business opportuni- tion to transition from cattle to corn has become ties, including engaging in land-management almost irresistible. Tax and land-use policies as decision-making focused by necessity on a well as incentives offered by lending agencies and bottom line that is determined by people ­institutions — all driven by high corn prices — also residing far from our farmlands. encourage the conversion of grasslands to grain. Now, volatility in corn prices — from near Farm sizes are multiplying, and the $8 a bushel last year to less than $4 as of this writing — is pushing farmers to seek high temptation to transition from cattle to returns through volume. Inputs such as seed, fuel, fertilizers, and biocides remain spendy, corn has become almost irresistible. shrinking per-acre profits and causing corn producers to expand the amount of land they Perspective plant to maintain revenues. So much of what we do as a society The landowner managing the conversion proj- begins with and results from what we ect I witnessed was reluctantly doing so. “This choose to do with precious, irreplace- wasn’t part of my original plan,” he said with a able land resources. noticeable sigh. “I’d rather have cattle, with the The American conservation move- land in pasture.” His land ethic was more nuanced ment has engaged in a variety of and sensitive than I ever would have guessed. meaningful causes. Strip mining, clear “Unfortunately, my circumstances dictate doing cutting, dam building, well drilling, this,” he added, before elaborating with a personal mountain top removal — each is a land- story about his life and his finances. use issue warranting serious public discussion

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA | OUTDOOR AMERICA | 2013 ISSUE 4 | 33 Unfortunately, we are entering what could be a death knell for tallgrass prairie. Less than one percent of the ’s tallgrass prairie now survives. Prospects for saving crucial tracts of remaining tallgrass prairie — particularly grasslands owned by the private sector — are iffy, and recovering tallgrass through restoration hinges on landowners applying dramatically different approaches and considerations to land use. From Grasslands to Grain Fields Arriving at this ecologically tragic juncture in our history was not an overnight occurrence. The Flint Hills In the early 1800s, those brave enough to in Kansas con- creep from the Appalachians onto the open, tain some of the most expansive sun-soaked spaces of the North American prai- tallgrass ­prairie rie found fertile soils and hardly a rock to trip ­remnants in over. A thick tangle of grasses and forbs were North America. anchored to rich sod, but an ox, a steel plow, and plenty of back-breaking labor could clear a modest field for planting saleable crops. Less than one percent of the continent’s The easternmost portion of the grasslands — the tallgrass prairie stretching from Ohio tallgrass prairie now survives. to Dakota Territory — was homesteaded by ambitious settlers throughout the 19th century. and scrutiny. But the systematic extermination Farming intensity continued, and by the close of prairie, especially tallgrass prairie, has been a of the 20th century, only 10 percent of the relatively quiet occurrence, and it has proceeded continent’s tallgrass prairie remained — a loss despite the efforts of a cadre of worried and of native landscape measuring more than 150 enlightened activists. million acres. Today, just 13 years later, those North America’s grassland prairies — tall, remnant and rare prairie lands are almost gone. mixed, and short grass — once stretched Consider the status of tallgrass prairie in from Ohio to the Rockies and from to Illinois. Pre-settlement perennial grasslands Texas. Comprising more than 1.5 million square within what are now that state’s boundaries mea- miles — that’s 15 percent of the continent’s sured 22 million acres. Today, only about 2,000 land mass — grasslands were our most prevalent acres remain — less than one-hundredth of one type of vegetation. From an ecological perspec- percent. once held 29.5 million acres of tive, grasslands provide a blend of habitats that tallgrass prairie; less than 30,000 acres now exist nurture hundreds of species of flora and fauna. in scattered preserves and pastures. In neigh- Sportsmen understand the biological value of boring , 18 million acres of tallgrass grasslands for upland birds. They also know could once be found; today there are only about

that the related in the prairie pothole 230,000 acres. stock photo (1) region are essential to healthy waterfowl popula- The grim truth is that tallgrass prairie is the

tions throughout the continent. Grasslands and continent’s most endangered ecosystem. In its ervice I (2); wetlands provide other significant environmen- place are grain fields that symbolize America’s ildlife S tal benefits, including biodiversity, water quality position as the world’s leader in agricultural pro-

protection, aquifer recharge, flood control, soil ductivity. While this land swap started a century ish and W

maintenance, and carbon storage. and a half ago, it dramatically increased over the F U.S.

34 | 2013 iSSUE 4 | OUTDOOR AMERICA | THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA past decade, and we are now left to wonder wheth- but that the corn belt is pushing outward as er such a land-use trade — so much prairie for so well. According to the two researchers, this is much corn and soybeans — has been worth it. most evident in southern Iowa and the eastern Dakotas, where lands formerly used to grow Documenting Loss grass are now producing corn. This type of land Dr. Christopher Wright and Dr. Michael conversion is precisely what I witnessed. Wimberly of the Geographic Information Research by Dr. Carol Johnston adds more Science Center of Excellence at South Dakota concern for those who understand prairie’s State University released a report earlier this ecological importance. Johnston, a professor year that quantified the recent rate of prairie at South Dakota State University, studied the loss. The two researchers interpreted land conversion of prairie wetlands in the prairie pot- cover data to assess grassland destruction in hole region to croplands. She determined that the western region of the modern corn belt. during the past decade, wetlands in the region Their findings indicated that grassland cover have been destroyed at a rate of 15,300 acres per in that area declined by more than 1.3 million year, and she cited high commodity prices and a acres from 2006 to 2011. Wright and Wimberly significant drop in the number of acres enrolled concluded that this reduction was due to expan- in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) as sion of fields planted to corn and soybeans. Not key factors. The rate of destruction, cau- since the 1920s and 1930s, wrote Wright and tions Johnston, is increasing. Wimberly, has prairie been so rapidly destroyed. Research also shows that between 1986 and A flock of snow Wright also reports that the conversion of geese migrating 2000, tile and drainage applications and permits through South prairie to row crops is happening not only to issued to farmers in the prairie pothole region of Dakota. lands within the core area of the corn belt,

Not since the 1920s and 1930s has prairie been so rapidly destroyed.

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA | OUTDOOR AMERICA | 2013 ISSUE 4 | 35 eastern North and South Dakota were relatively off the grain and began a careful process of restor- rare. But starting in 2001, applications sharply ing the land with indigenous plants. Their mission accelerated, and they’ve remained noticeably was far more sophisticated than simply growing high. Between 2008 and 2011, for example, and preserving tallgrass prairie. permits for tile and drainage projects to convert “This isn’t a nature preserve,” emphasized prairie wetlands to croplands numbered more Johnson, as we toured EcoSun’s bountiful, than 500 per year in just the eastern Dakotas. beautiful fields. “This is a working farm that grows native, perennial grass instead of corn or Prairie, Profits, and Other Considerations soybeans.” Johnson motioned to diverse grasses, Dr. Carter Johnson and I are hiking into a pointing out sedges, wedge grass, bluestems, stand of switch grass higher than our eyes. The and a dozen others. Flowering forbs color the soft whisper of a slight breeze can’t obscure landscape with purples and yellows. He shows the steady sounds of singing birds and buzzing me fields that are rich in mixtures and diversity insects. Frogs croak, herons squawk. Overhead, of grasses and forbs, like the land naturally pro- a bright blue sky provides a background for wav- duced before row crops changed everything. On ing grasses. So this is tallgrass, I think to myself. the spongy soil bordering wetlands, cord grass It feels dynamic and natural. prospers. At EcoSun, wetlands drained and But it’s really a farm. filled by previous farmers are being restored, Johnson is an ecologist at South Dakota State and these offer yet another setting on the farm University, and these days he’s also a farmer where Johnson utilizes natural conditions to with his eye on hay, beef, and seed prices. Six grow optimal grasses. Researchers are determin- years ago, dismayed by disappearing native ing which grasses or combinations of grasses prairie and hoping to provide an antidote to best benefit from the farm’s various wetland and that environmental ailment, he and several col- upland environments. More than a hundred spe- leagues founded an ecological-agricultural enter- cies have taken root and are flourishing. prise called EcoSun Prairie Farm. “It’s a different way to look at grass rather arm istock (2); photo (1) than planting it and letting it sit,” Johnson says. On 640 acres of land in southeast South Dakota rairie F

“We decided to plant it and put it to work — un P that had prodigiously grown corn and soybeans for S co a century, Johnson and his fellow scientists cleared and make some money off it while we’re also E

36 | 2013 iSSUE 4 | OUTDOOR AMERICA | THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA Starting in 2001, tile and drainage applications and permits issued to farmers in the prairie pothole region of the eastern Dakotas sharply accelerated. benefiting the environment. We think it’s a lean beef that is popular in progressive markets win-win deal. We look at this as an example for and served in top-quality restaurants. This year’s others to follow, as a farming option that both profits, says Johnson proudly, are very encourag- protects resources and provides income.” ing. “Our net income from this farm can sup- Typically, tallgrass prairie survives or is port a family of four.” restored on marginal lands or in small parcels Understanding the Loss that are treated like precious heirlooms or as Johnson says the best way to understand what wildlife sanctuaries. Fields like the ones at is lost when prairie is plowed is to understand EcoSun are usually off-limits to prairie restora- what is gained when prairie is saved or restored. tion because growing corn or soybeans is the “The minute you plant grass, the advantages conventional approach to using fertile lands. begin to accrue,” he explains. “Preventing soil The biggest challenges to demonstrating the erosion and protecting soil fertility are primary viability of the EcoSun farm, said Johnson, are advantages. Tillage or even no-till have higher public perception and economic issues. “Many erosion rates than perennial grass farming, and people,” he explained, “believe that land left in this is especially true when you compare con- grass is land not used to its fullest. Of course, ventional tillage. There’s less runoff with grass, we believe such a viewpoint needs to change. and that means precipitation and water stay on Just as important, we’re proving that a farmer the land and move through the plants — and not can make a living with grass and doesn’t need run off carrying soil into . Grass easements, CRP, or price supports. We’ve also also protects because you use few learned that a farmer must be very entrepreneur- or no fertilizers and biocides. Everything you ial to make a grass farm work financially. You look at that has any connection to the environ- have to have multiple income streams, just like ment is better off with grass versus row crops.” traditional farms had.” According to Johnson, when prairie is plowed Opposite and below: Those income streams at EcoSun include Scenes from a the negative impacts begin immediately. Carbon prospering prairie the sale of seed, hay, and grass-finished beef. and organic matter in the soil — ­components of at EcoSun farms. Seed sales have been reliable and brisk, and hay biomass and fertility — instantly decline as they sales benefitted from dwindling grass supplies are exposed to the elements. Johnson explained in the region. A small herd of cattle feed on that “half the soil carbon in the land now EcoSun’s rich pastures, creating a flavorful yet

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA | OUTDOOR AMERICA | 2013 ISSUE 4 | 37 managed by EcoSun was lost before we started greenhouse gasses due to CO2 emissions that our operation because of previous plowing and occur when the grasslands are destroyed. Land- row crop practices.” Wetland areas on the prop- use practices, such as plowing grasslands, rank erty that were drained and filled lost two-thirds as the second leading cause of . of their carbon, Johnson added. “We’re recover- Of course, losing grasslands is also harmful ing some of what was lost,” he said, “but unfor- to wildlife. Bird species relying on grasslands tunately, once a prairie has been plowed, some are losing populations faster than birds else- losses are irretrievable.” where. Seventy percent of the grassland birds Not only is the natural fertility and health monitored by the National Breeding Bird Survey of the land diminished when prairie is plowed, have declined significantly during the past 30 exposed carbon can rise into the atmosphere, years. Important yet obscure prairie species Populations of Ring-neck exacerbating climate change. One study con- like the Dakota Skipper butterfly and Topeka Pheasants are ducted by the United Nations concluded that Shiner minnow have practically disappeared. dropping as corn and other biofuel crops grown on plowed More prominent grassland species that aren’t grassland habitat shrinks. grasslands fail to achieve a net reduction in indigenous, such as the Ring-neck Pheasant, are

38 | 2013 iSSUE 4 | OUTDOOR AMERICA | THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA Waterfowl relying on grassy cover and prairie wetlands in the pothole region migrate to at least 31 states, 4 Canadian provinces, and 12 additional countries.

also faltering as habitat shrinks. This autumn, South Dakotans were dismayed when research- ers revealed that the state’s pheasant numbers had dramatically dropped. In a state where corn production and pheasant hunting are drivers of economic prosperity, it is now clear that you can’t have lots of one without sacrificing lots of the other. Declining habitat in the prairie pothole region should alarm birdwatchers and waterfowl hunt- ers across the nation. Recent research shows that waterfowl relying on grassy cover and prairie wetlands in the pothole region migrate to at least 31 states, 4 Canadian provinces, 4 countries, and 8 countries in Central and . This remarkable reach of marshes and sloughs in the prairie pothole region reveals that a reduction in these wetlands will influence far younger than the stone, but it’s alive. And Inspecting cordgrass, it’s been dug up, turned over, and exposed to a wetland grass waterfowl numbers across two . planted extensively On Johnson’s prairie farm, work is underway the sky for the first time in its lifetime. I felt I’d on EcoSun Prairie to restore more than 30 wetlands. The combina- saved that stone from being dumped on a pile Farm. tion of grassy uplands and shallow offers of rubble near the broken field, keeping it for a a wide variety of wildlife a chance to flourish. more dignified place on a decorative rock wall Not only is the habitat welcoming, but the use bordering my backyard garden. of harmful synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and Not long after that, I am traveling once again insecticides on EcoSun farm is practically zero. to EcoSun. On the front seat, I have that hand- There’s little or no need for them there — or, for some rock of red and gray. A stone-stacked wall that matter, on any perennial prairie. seems inappropriate when a better option is available. No one is there when I drive the gravel Distance and Time Reunited road that fronts EcoSun’s southern boundary. It is two hundred miles from where I watched a ; istock photo Near that road, on the edge of the prairie farm,

arm grassland being plowed to where EcoSun restores is a small drainage with fieldstone scattered — you might even say “un-plows” — prairie. rairie F about. I’m not romanticizing rocks or land or On the prairie being broken, I had reached un P S soils or grasses. But it felt right when I rolled co down and collected a colorful stone left by a ; E that stone onto EcoSun’s prairie. retreating 10,000 years ago. How else,

ervice — Peter Carrels writes articles and essays from South I marveled, is it possible to hold in my hand Dakota. His critically acclaimed book, Uphill Against ildlife S a fragment of earth a billion years old? The Water, profiles the protracted, bitter conflict between a plowed soil — glacial till made more fertile by remarkable grassroots group and the political and business ish and W an endless cycle of plants growing, dying, and establishment, which led to a transformation of federal wa-

U.S. F U.S. ter policy in the West. decomposing — had a rich, organic smell. It’s

THE IZAAK WALTON LEAGUE OF AMERICA | OUTDOOR AMERICA | 2013 ISSUE 4 | 39