A year after seeding a crop field to grass, native plants start to green under last year’s growth in the Butzer field near Alcester, S.D.
Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo
Birds fly from cottonwood trees that stand on the banks of a stream in the Butzer’s new pasture. Butzer said they counted 22 bird species on the property after it was seeded to native grass. “These trees are everything,” she said. Though damaged by last summer’s derecho, she said she’s thankful previous farm owners didn’t remove the trees.
Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo
Stream crossings were installed through the Butzer pastures to allow cattle and vehicles to cross.
Tri-State Neighbor photo by Janelle Atyeo
Native flowers and sunflowers bloomed in the new seeding last August.
A cloud of dirt billows on a storm front near Mount Vernon, S.D., May 17. The sky turned black for about five minutes as it passed through and a layer of dirt from freshly planted fields was left over everything
Dawn Butzer examines plant debris in the pasture ground that was seeded last year. Kochia was the worst problem weed to appear. Native grasses will eventually push out many weeds.
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In late April, Dawn Butzer stands with the pasture and cattle in the background. The land was seeded to native grasses and forbs a year ago, and the cattle will graze there as soon as this fall.
Raised in small town South Dakota, Janelle is enjoying her time as editor of Tri-State Neighbor and Midwest Messenger while raising kids, chickens and no till vegetables in central Sioux Falls. Reach her at janelle.atyeo@lee.net.
A cloud of dirt billows on a storm front near Mount Vernon, S.D., May 17. The sky turned black for about five minutes as it passed through and a layer of dirt from freshly planted fields was left over everything
Dawn Butzer examines plant debris in the pasture ground that was seeded last year. Kochia was the worst problem weed to appear. Native grasses will eventually push out many weeds.
Birds fly from cottonwood trees that stand on the banks of a stream in the Butzer’s new pasture. Butzer said they counted 22 bird species on the property after it was seeded to native grass. “These trees are everything,” she said. Though damaged by last summer’s derecho, she said she’s thankful previous farm owners didn’t remove the trees.
In late April, Dawn Butzer stands with the pasture and cattle in the background. The land was seeded to native grasses and forbs a year ago, and the cattle will graze there as soon as this fall.
