The Genius of Prairie Strips

Lisa Schulte Moore

The Genius of Prairie Strips

Farmers in 14 states have planted more than 14,000 acres of prairie strips to ease soil erosion. On this episode, Lisa Schulte Moore of Iowa State University explains the science behind planting native grasses and plants. “Prairie strips are oriented perpendicular to that flow of water,” she says. “It's really about slowing that water down, allowing it to infiltrate.”

A prairie strip on a farm near Traer, Iowa.
A prairie strip on a farm near Traer, Iowa.
Courtesy of Iowa State University