The Prairie Farm Podcast

Join Nicolas, Kent, and Riley for this week's Coffee Time as they dive into the latest Farm Bill updates, extending CRP through 2031, and exciting new cost-share opportunities for prairie burning and grazing. Plus, the guys discuss America’s billion-dollar littering problem and what it costs the USA. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP mixes, hunting habitat mixes, pollinator mixes, native pasture mixes and ...

Skip Sligh returns to The Prairie Farm Podcast to discuss the harsh realities of modern land stewardship. From the challenge of hunting mature whitetails to combating the rise in rural poaching and managing vulnerable acreage, Skip offers an honest, grounded look at what it takes to protect Iowa’s native habitats.

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Join Nicolas and Kent for another Coffee Time Wednesday! This week, they share their harrowing adventures with old farm equipment, the realities of harvesting native seeds, and dive into a deep discussion on the changing economics of dairy farming and agricultural labor. Grab your coffee and tune in! hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP, hunting habitat, backyard prairie, and more) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your ...

Join us as Dr. Larry Weber from the University of Iowa discusses the critical intersection of water quality and public health. We explore off-grid living, the importance of native prairie in conservation, and the growing nitrate crisis in Iowa’s waterways. Discover how informed communities can protect our shared water resources.

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We answer the following prairie questions in the second half of our FAQ miniseries.

8. What is the best way to broadcast both large and small seeds evenly?

9. What is the role of prescribed burning in long-term prairie maintenance?

10. Will the native plants spread and fill in over time?

11. What do I do about reed’s canary grass?

12. What do I do about Canada Thistle?

13. What do I do about brushy encroachment?

14. What do ...

Matt Hatala of Prairie Rose Farms shares his unlikely path from adoption and military service to raising pasture pork in Iowa. He discusses regenerative hog production, farm marketing, local food systems, water quality, animal welfare, and why rebuilding agriculture requires courage, transparency, and healthier relationships with land, community, and risk.

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In this Coffee Time episode, Nicolas, Kent, and Riley debate whether the Midwest really feeds the world, dig into commodity calories, exports, food security, environmental tradeoffs, and what prairie, local food, grazing, and conservation minded choices might mean for Iowa’s future.

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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 ...

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 ...

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)

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)

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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)

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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)

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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...

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)

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