Why care about prairie?
It made Iowa what it is today, and can help craft the Iowa of tomorrow
I interviewed Nicolas Lirio of Hoksey Native Seed months ago, when many of us were unsure what would happen with USDA conservation programs. But when I went back to the interview a just few weeks ago, I found it wasn’t only about conservation programs. Nicolas’ comments about the reasons we need to preserve and build new prairies is timeless.
And important.
Give it a listen.
In the meantime, I love this quote by Nicolas. It sums up why we need to not only listen and learn, but to then talk and share with others once we are informed.
It’s really easy to blame people at the top. I do it all the time. I love to sit around, drink coffee, and blame people at the top. But in a lot of ways, I, [someone] who has dedicated my life most of the hours of my life since graduating college to helping conservation—I sit around the table with my friends and I’m nervous to bring up conservation.
Because, I don’t want to be weird.
I want to get along with them. I want to talk about the corn price like it’s normal like ‘yeah we should be upset that the corn price is so low.’ I want to talk about those things because I want to get along.
But I can get along with people all the way on the road to hell. And if we don’t change our tune and we don’t start talking about what’s important, that’s where we’re headed.
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Thank you Beth. The demise of prairies may be reversed with more awareness, education and dedication.
Reading your Bet the Farm...I would bet all of your substack readers would find it as valuable and interesting.