Prairie STRIPS program expands with new grant

Narrow strips of native prairie planted on cropland, like the one shown above, can yield immense environmental benefits. The STRIPS program at Iowa State recently received a USDA grant to expand its work. Photo courtesy of Lisa Schulte Moore.

AMES, Iowa – A recently awarded federal grant will help an innovative Iowa State University program expand its mission to protect soil and water quality by planting strips of native prairie on farmland. The three-year, $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will allow the ISU STRIPS program to widen its scope and test its methods in new geographic areas and agricultural practices.

STRIPS, which stands for Science-based Trials of Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips, began in the fall of 2003 at a single site at the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City. Today, STRIPS personnel have helped 18 farmers across Iowa and northern Missouri install native prairie on their fields, unlocking a range of conservation benefits such as cleaner water, healthier soil and new wildlife habitat. The new grant will provide the resources to continue the project’s impressive trajectory, said Lisa Schulte Moore, an associate professor of […]

Full article: Prairie STRIPS program expands with new grant