Prairie Installation Program Information
What is the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities Grant Program?
In 2022, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) allocated over $3.1 billion to fund 141 projects for 5 years (2023-2028), focusing on ensuring that small and underserved producers are actively involved. This is touted as the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities (CSC) initiative, a federal funding program to promote climate-friendly agriculture and forestry practices.
The CSC grant program supports partnerships and projects that help produce and market climate-smart commodities such as cover cropping, anaerobic digestion, filter strips, riparian buffer strips, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, etc. The goal of the CSC program is to encourage adoption of regenerative farming and forestry methods across the U.S. while providing new income opportunities for agricultural producers.
What is Horizon II: A Climate-Smart Future for Corn, Soybean, Livestock, and Renewable Natural Gas Production?
Horizon II (H2) is a five-year pilot project in southern Iowa and northern Missouri that will reduce GHG emissions and improve carbon sequestration for corn, soybean, pork, and beef commodities by restoring prairie land in the Midwest and planting cover crops. The cover crops, native prairie grasses, and manure will produce Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) for our nation’s energy pipeline.
H2 is a partnership of 13 organizations spanning Iowa and Missouri with the goal of generating an economically viable way to restore habitat, improve cropping systems, and produce renewable energy in the Midwest. Over 40,000 acres across two states will be converted to prairie fields, and cover crops will be planted on an additional 40,000 acres. Throughout the 5-year pilot project, 80,000 acres are set to have climate-smart practices implemented in Iowa and Missouri alone. Both prairie grasses and cover crops will be harvested and co-digested with beef or hog manure for RNG production to sell to the LCFS or Low Carbon Fuel Standard market in California.
The program broadly interests producers, conservationists, landowners, and policymakers who are invested in the potential for prairie restoration, cover cropping, and RNG production to benefit the climate and create economic opportunities.
What are we offering?
Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) and our partners offer landowners excellent per-acre rates for prairie installation in their fields with at least 30 acres. We are open to row-crop land and/or marginally profitable land.
Specifically, RAE will cover:
- 100% of prairie seed costs
- 100% of planting costs
- 2-year total maintenance mowing or harvesting costs
What areas are we interested in?
Regional areas in southern Iowa and northern Missouri, including the cities or towns listed below:
- Albany, MO
- Bethany, MO
- Grant City, MO
- Kirksville, MO
- Mercer, MO
- Milan, MO
- Princeton, MO
- Unionville, MO
Note that landowners must have at least 30 acres of land to participate.
Learn More!
For more information about the H2 project and to determine if your land qualifies, please contact Steve Mowry, Director of Land Development and Prairie Establishment.
Steve Mowry
314-270-8876