Author’s Note: this is part of an occasional series of writings on topics that have a particular interest to me and which further the spirit of my work at West of 98.
This resonates deeply as an Abilene native. In my mind there’s nothing that says home quite like the expanse of a wide open prairie capped by a big blue sky.
The prairie is a subject I would love to delve into deeper, and this beautiful reflection has whetted my appetite further James.
In the UK we have species-rich grasslands or hay meadows. Areas of traditional agriculture that rely on traditional management to persist. They harbour incredibly rich biodiversity but have by and large either succumbed to the intensive plough or to the intensification that liberal fertiliser application brings. Species-poor, improved grassland is now the norm.
However, these traditional UK habitats would pale in comparison to your prairies, which must be such a sublime sight to behold! I remember reading Berry's essay on native grasses in which he mentions the prairie grass experts. Such men and women are national treasures doing work of the highest order and merit.
For more insight into prairies and their restoration potential in the U.S., I recommend looking into the Land Institute in Kansas, cofounded by Wes Jackson, whose work I learned of when researching my study of Berry's fiction. Try this link: https://landinstitute.org/media-coverage-category/wes-jackson/
Wes Jackson is an American hero. His work on kernza and perennial grains in general is some of the most impactful work that anyone has done in the last 75 years of agriculture.
Beautiful essay. Loved this line as you described your early interest in learning about the prairie: "It was as much fun as a person like me could legally have."! Big smile.
This resonates deeply as an Abilene native. In my mind there’s nothing that says home quite like the expanse of a wide open prairie capped by a big blue sky.
The prairie is a subject I would love to delve into deeper, and this beautiful reflection has whetted my appetite further James.
In the UK we have species-rich grasslands or hay meadows. Areas of traditional agriculture that rely on traditional management to persist. They harbour incredibly rich biodiversity but have by and large either succumbed to the intensive plough or to the intensification that liberal fertiliser application brings. Species-poor, improved grassland is now the norm.
However, these traditional UK habitats would pale in comparison to your prairies, which must be such a sublime sight to behold! I remember reading Berry's essay on native grasses in which he mentions the prairie grass experts. Such men and women are national treasures doing work of the highest order and merit.
For more insight into prairies and their restoration potential in the U.S., I recommend looking into the Land Institute in Kansas, cofounded by Wes Jackson, whose work I learned of when researching my study of Berry's fiction. Try this link: https://landinstitute.org/media-coverage-category/wes-jackson/
Wes Jackson is an American hero. His work on kernza and perennial grains in general is some of the most impactful work that anyone has done in the last 75 years of agriculture.
Beautiful essay. Loved this line as you described your early interest in learning about the prairie: "It was as much fun as a person like me could legally have."! Big smile.