About Prairie
Moon Nursery....
The native plant nursery “industry” is said to have had its beginnings at the 1970 Midwestern Prairie Conference (now the North American Prairie Conference). There, Jim Zimmerman put out a call for the creation of “true” wildflower nurseries. Several people at that conference heeded his call. One was Prairie Moon Nursery’s mentor, Dot Wade.
Dot and husband Doug began Windrift Nursery at their Oregon, Illinois, home, experimenting with germination and propagation of an ever-increasing diversity of species. Native plant and seed nurseries served an extremely small niche market for at least the next decade, and while Dot remained positive about the growth she had seen in the native plants business, she was ready to retire by the early 1980s.
Meanwhile, Dot’s son Alan had joined Wiscoy Valley
Community Land Cooperative here in rural Winona County in southeast Minnesota. Situated in the rugged karst landscape of the driftless region, the land co-op had few acres suited to consistent heavy farming. By the 1980s even organic field cropping had been abandoned and many Wiscoy community members were selling produce at area farmers markets.
Seeking other ways to produce an income through sustainable
land use, Alan and some of his fellow community members
accepted Dot’s challenge to start a native plant nursery.
Organized in 1976 as Minnesota’s first community land
cooperative, the Wiscoy Valley endeavor attracted a colorful
group of characters, some who had lived in other rural
intentional communities. These included adherents to the
1960s ideals of social justice, collective action and the back to-the-land movement’s respect for resources. This lively
cradle was where Prairie Moon was born in 1982.
Over the years Prairie Moon has continued to grow plants
from Dot Wade’s Illinois collection along with hundreds of
others from throughout the upper Midwest. We also work
with a network of small producers who sell their seed on
consignment through Prairie Moon. Each year we strive to
improve and to provide the highest quality seeds and
plants. We are proud to be part of the greater community
dedicated to ecological restoration and preservation.
Wheter you are cultivating natives on a small corner of an
urban lot or trying to restore acres to prairie,, you are part of this ongoing experiment on how
to assist nature. 27 years is considered a short time
in the beginning of a prairie restoration. While we feel the
native plant industry has matured a lot in that time, we all
still have many lessons ahead. Thanks for helping us learn!
2008 Prairie Moon
Staff
Early July - a planting of Echinacea pallida (Pale Purple Coneflower) with our new building in the far background
Front row: Carmen Carter, Becky Klukas-Brewer, Bob Copeland, Kathy Christopherson, Ann Casper, Emma Wade
Back row: Jerry Schroeck, Dave Seaman, Steve Haines, Bill Carter, Gail Testor,
Karen Harrison, Arnel Remoticado, Wayne Beezley
|
Native versus Alien
At Prairie Moon Nursery we handle only native species. These are plants indigenous to North America prior
to European settlement.
There are many other companies, however, who sell "alien"
species as "wildflowers." These species have come
from outside North America. A few examples of "naturalized
aliens" that should be avoided are: Oxeye Daisy, Bouncing
Bet, Queen Anne's Lace, Chicory, Dame's Rocket, Bird's Foot
Trefoil, Crown Vetch and Reed Canary Grass. Once established,
they can spread to new areas and overwhelm native plants.
The dangers of planting alien species have been well documented
by such tragedies as the loss of wetland areas to Purple Loosestrife
(Lythrum salicaria), an aggressive dominant alien still being
sold by some nurseries.
Also entering the native plant trade are horticulturally
selected species known as cultivars. Many of these do not
have the genetic variations of the plants they were developed
from and can be aesthetically less pleasing than their wild
relatives. Some have been selected to be larger and more aggressive
and take over when planted in a mix with other native species.
In restoration work and native landscaping, we believe alien
and naturalized species and cultivars should be avoided, particularly
when they might contaminate native gene pools.
With the wide array of true native plants available, why
degrade the environment with weedy non-natives?
Plants
We grow our bare root plants organically in outdoor nursery beds here
at Prairie Moon Nursery. Our potted plants are grown in greenhouses from our seed. Since persistent digging of wild
plants can deplete and destroy local plant populations, it
is important for prospective native plant buyers to be aware
of the origin of commercially sold plants.
Seeds
Our original seed sources are centered largely in the unglaciated
regions of Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Wisconsin, Northeast
Iowa, Northwest Illinois and the area surrounding this "driftless
Bioregion."
Much of our forb seed is hand collected. Collecting
seed by hand is a good way to ensure that seed is ripe and
free of weed seed.
Driving Directions to Prairie Moon Nursery
(*Please note: we are a mail order Nursery, not a retail outlet, but orders my be picked up if prior arrangements are made)
Our babies are growing up! left to right: Velaina Kiesel, Ruby Kiesel, Hamilton Brewer, Cadel Carter, and Amy Remoticado.
|
Share
