AMES, Iowa-Once an obstacle for European settlers who wanted to cultivate the state's rich soil, Iowa's tallgrass prairie now may be the source for valuable crops - prairie seed and hay.

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has teamed with the Iowa Chapter of The Nature Conservancy to gather information and plant demonstration plots to help farmers and landowners reintroduce tallgrass prairies using native species. In addition to natural beauty and attraction of wildlife, reconstructed prairies also can be harvested for seed and hay, according to Jerry Selby, conservancy science and stewardship director working on the four-year competitive grant project.

"We believe this is an alternative, economically viable product that can be grown on areas less suitable for row-crop agriculture," Selby said. "The demand for locally produced prairie seed is high and will continue to grow in the foreseeable future."

Selby cites the popularity of prairies and native species among gardeners and rural landowners. Farmers also earn points in applications for Conservation Reserve Program set-aside projects that include diverse plantings. In addition, Department of Transportation projects often require large supplies of local seed, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have begun to produce their own seed for reconstruction projects.

The grant includes a market study for production of seed from a reconstructed prairie, which has initial seed costs of about $400 an acre. Selby has found 46 prairie seed sources in and around Iowa, 29 of which offer local ecotype seed (defined as seed that evolved naturally in a local area). He said local ecotype seed is preferred because it is adapted to an area and it helps preserve local strains. Diverse mixes of these locally adapted species also are more stable over time than single-species plantings of non-local seed.

Seed sources and other practical advice for growers are outlined in a new book by Iowa naturalist and photographer Carl Kurtz. His book, A Practical Guide to Prairie Reconstruction, is a step-by-step guide to seed and site selection, soil preparation, mowing, burning and growth and development of a diverse and well-established prairie community. Kurtz planted his first prairie in 1975 and is a supplier of mixed prairie seed.

"Carl has demonstrated that you can make a living at this," Selby said. "Our goal is to identify local seed sources and facilitate the establishment of local prairie seed producers scattered across Iowa so there's a local source for prairie seed anywhere in the state."

Joining the Leopold Center and The Nature Conservancy in publication of the book is the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, which is sending copies to all county conservation boards and district conservationists. It also is available at bookstores ($12.95 paperback) or directly from the University of Iowa Press, 1-800-621-2736, or www.uiowa.edu/~uipress.

As part of the Leopold Center grant, the Conservancy helped establish several demonstration plots in northwest Iowa. They include a five-acre planting on the campus of Briar Cliff College in Sioux City and two on private property near Broken Kettle Grasslands in Plymouth County. He anticipates a fall field day at the reconstructed prairies.

Through its research and education programs, the Leopold Center supports the development of profitable farming systems that conserve natural resources. Center funding comes from state appropriations and from fees on nitrogen fertilizer and pesticides, as established by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act.