[Carpenter Prairie Discussion] seasons greetings from the north country

[Frank Oberle]

Kirksville: The weather has been very cold and blustery. This morning it felt like 10 to 15 below zero. I believe it was a whopping
2 above. Humidity was close to 80%. The deer and turkeys have ate almost all of the 8 acres of turnips and are now working on 
just about any food source available. The pressure on the native stands of grassland vegetation has been worth observation.
         The reason I'm sending this e-mail is to bring to light that switchgrass is not the enemy many in the wildlife circles
have made it out to be. I believe it is a very good native plant.  It is sorta uncommon in the Mystic COA, but it is here.  


                                                                                                                                 Lumsden prairie with native switchgrass
             One of the greatest benefits of Switchgrass is that snow, ice or blowing rain does not knock it down. The
     other attribute is that birds do eat the seeds. Like the enclosed pics. I really encourage NRCS to make available 
     a Northern Missouri Ecotype Switchgrass via the Plant Materials Center. It is a wonderful grass that has more 
      benefits than just biomass. The enclosed pictures of the unknown birds are eating the seeds of a Cave-n-Rock
      switchgrass plant near our home. Also we have had nearly 60-70 turkeys in our fields almost every day. I believe
      our numbers seem to be climbing back slowly to pre 2000 numbers.  If I am aggravating  any recipient with my
      incessant e-mails, please let me know and I will stop sending. I just believe this new bioenergy movement can
      revitalize the conservation causes.
           










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