Planting Native Prairies Makes For Grazing Pastures That Support Both Cows And Pollinators

Grazing pastures might not be what comes to mind when you think about pollinator-friendly habitat. After all, our agriculture system is a major driver of the dramatic loss of biodiversity, especially for invertebrates. However, farmers and farmlands are also one of the integral solutions to this crisis. Over the past year, I have been working with a farm in Wisconsin to understand how even small changes to their practices can make a positive impact for conservation!

Farmers can support pollinators by incorporating native prairies into their pastures

Farmer Ryan Heinen of Gwenyn Hill Farm is combining habitat restoration practices with conservation-minded agriculture. He cares for 80 organic dairy and 15 beef cows, and has worked hard to try something different: planting native prairie for his cows to graze.

Contrary to the idea that conservation is achieved through “hands-off” management, the health of our prairies, woodlands, and wetlands have always and continue to rely upon natural disturbances. Many ecosystems in North America evolved with and benefit from grazing by large mammals (caribou, elk, bison, and deer), fire, and even flooding. And, human stewardship is of equal importance for ecosystems’ health, as demonstrated by the well-documented history of cultivation and care by indigenous peoples.