Christine Taliga-Burton, her husband John and daughter Anna Burton, are hosts for the Organic Prairie Farm Management & Seed Production field day at Burtal Farm near Williamsburg. For the past 23 years, Christine and her family have been committed to using organic farming practices to restore tallgrass prairie on their farm and fulfill their vision of farming in harmony with nature, resulting in improved soil health, clean water and thriving diverse farm habitats. The implementation of prairie restoration practices has helped conserve and enhance farm resources while offering a sustainable family enterprise.
This field day will include a farm tour with Christine, John, and Anna as they showcase their prairie areas and share about weed management efforts, conservation challenges and their new journey into selling certified organic prairie pollinator seed and plant products for the home gardener (@Etsy, BurtalFarmSeed). Andrew Olson from UNI Tallgrass Prairie Center will join us during the field day to answer questions and offer resources about prairie restoration opportunities in Iowa. Curt Goettsch with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide information in regards to various FSA programs that can assist organic producers with prairie restoration and land management.
Iowa’s vast landscape (85%) was once covered by over 30 million acres of prairie. Today, less than 0.1% of Iowa’s prairie landscape remains, and yet prairies are the reason Iowa boasts some of the richest soils in the world. Prairie restoration efforts offers a deep-rooted solution for addressing climate challenges, improving soil health, preserving soil nutrients, reducing erosion, enhancing water quality, feeding and managing livestock, and reintroducing critical insect, plant and bird species to foster thriving ecosystem services on the farm and the surrounding environment.
Society for Ecological Restoration: A Practitioner's Journey of Tallgrass Prairie Restoration
COST: Free
REGISTRATION is required for this event, please RSVP below.
FARM HOST: Christine Taliga-Burton and John Burton - BurtalFarmSeed
The Iowa Organic Association is working to advance organic agriculture and food systems in Iowa. This field day provides an opportunity to learn more about the organic movement and organic practices, and to network with Iowa’s organic community.
Funder Acknowledgement:
This material is based upon work that is supported by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), U.S. Department of Agriculture, under the program agreement with the title "Promoting FSA Programs and Resources Among Women Organic and Small-scale Producers in Iowa". FSA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the FSA and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
