Overview

The emergence of the prairie grass and wildflower industry was triggered by the 1987 passage of the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act, which added a requirement that all Federally aided highway landscaping projects must contain native wildflower seeds or grasses. At least one quarter of one percent of all funds expended for a landscaping project must be used to plant native grasses or wildflowers. Many Midwestern states have also included roadside restoration programs to include secondary road landscaping.

Interest in using prairie grass as a biomass energy source gained considerable attention with the passage of the Renewable Fuels Standard in 2006, which showcased switchgrass as a potential contributor to a growing ethanol industry. Information about biomass for energy can be found at: http://bioenergy.ornl.gov/papers/bioam95/graham3.html.  April 2009 ... Prairie Grasses
 

Marketing

• American Seed Trade Association - Trade organization involved in seed production and distribution, plant breeding and related industries in North America.
• Back to the Future: Prairie grasses emerge as rich energy sources, University of Minnesota News, 2006 - Mixtures of native prairie grasses yield more energy than either ethanol from corn or biodiesel from soybeans.
• Economics of Biomass Production, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Department of Energy and ERS, USDA.
• Going Native: Prairie Grass Research, University of Kentucky, 2004.
• Grassland Heritage Foundation - A membership organization dedicated to prairie preservation and education.
• Mixed Prairie Grasses Better Source of Biofuel Than Corn Ethanol and Soybean Biodiesel, NSF, 2006 - Fuels made from prairie biomass reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
• Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA) - Consortium of federal government agencies and non-federal cooperators representing various disciplines within the conservation field. The group works to solve the problems of native plant extinction and native habitat restoration.
• Prairie grass energy boost studied in the field, Nature News, 2008 - Using switchgrass as a biofuel yields five times more energy than is used to grow it.
• Prairies Forever - Dedicated to promoting prairies through education, outreach and public engagement.
• Wildflower Viewing Hotline, U.S. Forest Service - The Wildflower Hotline provides location and species information on flowering plants during the spring and summer seasons. The number is 1-800-354-4595.

Production

• Celebrating Wildflowers, U.S. Forest Service.
• Creating a Prairie?, Prairies Forever.
• Creating a Wild Backyard - Wildflower Meadows, Wild Acres Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, 2004.
• Developing a Residential Prairie, University of Minnesota.
• Edible Flowers, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, 2009.
• Example of Government Grow-out Procedures for Native Grasses in the Pacific Northwest, J. Herbert Stone Nursery, Oregon, USDA Forest Service.
• Friends of the Prairie Learning Center, Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, Iowa - Does research on restoring native plants, carbon sequestration, effects of different seeding methods and early mowing management on prairies.
• Harvesting Grass Seed, Government of Alberta, Canada, 2002 - Timing the harvest of grass seed is one of the most important decisions a seed grower will make.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin.
• Landscaping with Native Plants, U.S. EPA fact sheet.
• Living Roadway Trust Fund, Iowa - Learn about projects, assistance for producers, plant lists and so on.
• Minnesota Crop Improvement Association - Directory of yellow tag (source identified) suppliers.
• Native Kansas Prairie - Variety of links to various prairie sites and resources.
• Native Wildflower Seed Production in Florida, IFAS, University of Florida - Provides advice about producing seed of native herbaceous annual and perennial wildflowers.
• Ornamental Grasses, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, 2009.
• Plant Materials Program, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), USDA - Information on seeding, planting and production of prairie areas. Source of native vegetation information and species.
• Plants Database, NRCS, USDA - Provides a searchable database on all plants, tools, fact sheets and so on related to prairie production and development.
• Prairiesource.com - This site offers a variety of links to state, federal and university sites with prairie-related information.
• Prairie Wildflowers, Consumer Horticulture, Purdue University.
• Quick Guide to Wildflowers, AmericanMeadows.com - Practical, easy-to-understand information on wildflower gardening.
• Regional Trends of Biological Resources: Grasslands, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey.
• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, National Park Service - Created in 1996, this park near Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, protects a nationally significant example of the once vast tallgrass ecosystem.
• Wildflowers, Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
• Wildflowers in Bloom, Horticulture Program, Texas Cooperative Extension - This site provides growing information, seed sources and indexed photos of many wildflowers. 

Businesses/Case Studies

• FDC Enterprises Grasslands Services, Columbus, Ohio, 2008 - Since 2002, this company has planted 86,000 acres in 15 states, with the pasture and cattle-grazing market growing the fastest.
• Glenco Agricultural Consultant Services - Native prairie grass seed production and marketing in the northern Great Plains and Canadian prairies.
• Ion Exchange, Harpers Ferry, Iowa - Native seed and plant nursery.
• New Holland Combines Harvest Delicate Grass Seeds, 2001 - Editorial on Allendan Seeds of Winterset, Iowa.
  
• Pawnee Buttes Seed Inc, Greeley, Colorado - Provides native and introduced grass, forb, and shrub seed for reclamation, pasture, and turf.
• Prairie Frontier, Waukesha, Wisconsin - Offers planting tips, as well as sales of specific prairie plants and prairie plant mixes.
• Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, Minnesota - Offers a large selection of native prairie and meadow wildflowers and grass seeds. Also specializes in wetland, savanna and woodland seed mixes. 
• Prairie Nursery, Westfield, Wisconsin - This operation has been growing wildflowers and grasses since 1972. In addition to sales of seeds and plants, the operation also offers landscaping services of prairie areas.
• Prairie Restorations, Inc., Princeton, Minnesota - Helps restore natural prairie areas in the Midwest. For a case study of the business, see Renewing the Countryside's article. 
• Shooting Star Native Seeds, Spring Grove, Minnesota - A major supplier of native grass and wildflower seed throughout the Upper Midwest.

Links checked November 2009.