Wildflower mix

Kirk Hendersen of the Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management at the University of Northern Iowa, sent the following today about a program that provides native seeds for planting on Iowa's roadsides:

 Representatives from 45 Iowa Counties were at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Wednesday and Thursday, April 14-15

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to pick up their share of a $225,000 prairie grass and wildflower seed purchase, which is enough seed to provide beautification and maintenance reduction for more than 1,000 acres of county road right-of-way.

The nearly 20,000 pounds of native seeds, including 13,371 pounds of prairie grass and 5,985 pounds of wildflower seed, was picked up at UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center, located southwest of the UNI-Dome on West 27

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Street in Cedar Falls.  For 13 years, the Tallgrass Prairie Center's Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) Program has received Transportation Enhancement Program funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation for native seeding.

Counties may choose from two different mixes.  The first mix, used for more remote locations, is a combination of seven grasses and seven wildflower species.  The second mix, a combination of 10 grasses and sedges and 27 wildflower species, is used on more high profile sites. These durable, long lived perennials outcompete weeds, control soil erosion and reduce stormwater runoff.

“On average, each county manages 4,000 acres of vegetated road right of way.  We want those roadsides planted in real, native Iowa seed,” said Kirk Henderson, roadside program manager for UNI's Tallgrass Prairie Center.  “The seed mix is comprised strictly of species native to the Iowa prairie.  The parent material for that seed was harvested from actual remnants of the Iowa prairie.”

The Johnson County Secondary Roads Department picked up enough seed to plant 30 acres of right of way.  The retail value of this seed is $12,000.00.

Kirk explains that the seed is free to the counties and goes on to say: I apply to Iowa DOT's Transportation Enhancement Program each year for the funds. We got $225,000 this year. I do one large purchase on behalf of the counties that applied to me to receive a share of the seed. 45 counties this year. The funds from DOT are actually Federal funds which require a 30% match. We are allowed the counties' seedbed preparation and seeding process as an inkind match. So the counties do not have to come up with any cash to receive seed. I administer the whole thing as part of my job so none of the money has to go for administration of the project. Every dollar goes for seed. Because of the huge volume of the purchase and the competitive bidding process, we get really good prices. Most counties take home 10, 20 or 30 acres' worth of seed. If they went to the grower themselves to buy 10 acres' worth of the same diverse mix of prairie grasses and wildflowers it would cost them at least twice as much- easily $500 per acre for what we call the diversity mix or $300 per acre for the ditch clean out (fewer wildflowers) mix. They choose which mix they want. Some get some of each. That's why the press release has $300, $400 or $500 on it.  The counties will plant about 1100 acres, probably a little more, with this year's seed. So what we actually pay per acre for the seed comes out to about $200.