A Piece of Kansas Soil

04/21/2026

Managed carefully, prescribed burns are one of the most effective tools we have to restore native grasslands.

While invasives are cleared away, the deep roots of native grasses remain protected underground.

This 55-acre field, former cropland, was planted to native grasses two years ago. After watching the forecast and waiting for the right conditions, we were finally able to carry out a successful burn last month.

We are grateful for the support of our neighbors and the dedicated Narka volunteer fire crews who make this all possible!

03/10/2026

We did it! After navigating some difficult weather, we managed to conduct a perfect prairie burn today. A thrilling and beautiful experience. We can’t wait to see how the prairie responds.

02/19/2026

Join us for tomorrow's (Feb. 20) 12:15 hybrid Friday Ecology Seminar on post-ag grassland restoration! Converting grassland to conventional row-crop agriculture takes it toll, reducing soil carbon storage, promoting greenhouse gas emissions and moving nutrients to ponds and streams. Restoring grasslands on formerly cultivated ag soils can reverse many impacts—but we need to know which factors influence belowground recovery in order to set conservation priorities.

Sara Baer, director of the Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research, will present long-term research on post-ag grasslands restored using different methods, providing information toward conservation and climate mitigation goals.

Info + parking + Zoom: https://biosurvey.ku.edu/friday-ecology-seminars

02/08/2026

How Does Eastern Redcedar Spread?
- Up to 1.5 million seeds produced per mature tree every year
- 65% seed spread beyond mature trees by birds
- 95% seedlings up to 200 yards from mature trees
- 1 mature tree contaminates 26 acres with seedlings
- Trees produce seeds at 6-7 years old (~5ft tall)
- Short lived seeds: Viability 5% at 14 months; 3% at 28 months

Stopping Eastern Redcedar Invasion
- Prioritize defending areas of intact grassland
- Prevent seedling establishment (fire/haying)
- Remove seed sources (mature females trees ~5ft tall)
- Reduce perch locations for birds spreading seed (unneeded fence, cedar skeletons, other trees)

01/23/2026

🚨 URGENT ACTION NEEDED IN KANSAS 🚨

*Update* - since this hearing was barely scheduled with 24 hours’ notice, the committee Chair Ken Rahjes has extended the opportunity to submit testimony for the official record to Monday 1/26/2026. Thank you, Representative Rahjes.

Kansas lawmakers are considering HB 2476, a dangerous bill that would shield pesticide manufacturers from accountability when they fail to warn people about serious health risks.

After being introduced only yesterday, the hearing is at 3:30 pm today Wednesday, January 21, 2026, in the House Agriculture Committee!

If passed, HB 2476 would deny Kansans the right to hold pesticide manufacturers accountable for harm—putting corporate profits over public health, consumer safety, and environmental protection.

Take action NOW by Contacting your state Representative and urge them to OPPOSE HB 2476

Failure-to-warn claims are the foundation of most pesticide injury cases and are essential for protecting people when regulation falls short. These bills are part of a nationwide push by petrochemical corporations. Together we can stop them.

MORE INFO AT secure.everyaction.com/hYoUnWiGvk62x78YzmBi6Q2
Find and Contact Your Representatives here: https://pluralpolicy.com/open/

01/18/2026

Hello Prairie Friends! We have an update!

Thanks to your generous donations, we are finally ready to begin seeding the last 70 acres of our former crop field to prairie.

Pictured here is a 10' Great Plains No-Till drill model 1006 set on 7" spacing that we will be using to plant Kaw Big Bluestem, Sideoats Grama, Osage Indiangrass and Blackwell Switchgrass.

The drill has 3 different seed boxes, and the middle one is for native grasses. It also has agitator paddles that rotate to help feed the fluffy grass seed.

We are so excited about this next step and will keep you posted on our progress!

12/31/2025

Happy Holidays from A Piece of Kansas Soil!

Thanks to your support and some help from the colder temperatures in north central Kansas, we are just about ready to seed our last 70-acre tract with native grasses. We can't think of a better way to start the new year!

Wishing you all a wonderful winter holiday season and a happy 2026 filled with prairie adventures!

12/29/2025

Every year one of America’s great natural wonders takes to the sky over Kansas. As millions of birds migrate each fall to their southern wintering grounds, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge provides the birds a safe stopover in the south-central part of the state. In the spring, waterfowl return to...

12/29/2025

We love to see it!

Cattle ranchers like Bill Sproul have translated this conservationist philosophy into land management by adopting practices collectively known as “regenerative grazing.”

12/02/2025

As snow settles over the prairie, we’re closing out our fundraiser with immense gratitude!

Thanks to your generosity, we raised $7,718. That was enough to purchase the $6,000 of native seed needed to restore the final 70 acres of our family land.

Because of you, we’ll be able to seed this winter and keep this century-old prairie dream moving forward.

Thank you for believing in this land, in this legacy, and in the quiet magic of restoration. We will keep you posted on our progress!