Join the Nemaha Natural Resources District in celebrating wildflower week, June 1-9. In addition to their beauty and splendor, wildflowers play a critical role in our ecosystems.

Wildflowers provide:
• Habitat and sources of food for insects, birds, and other wildlife.
• Support pollinators in the reproduction of numerous plant species.
• Improve soil health by maintaining living roots that improve soil structure leading to decreased erosion and increased infiltration.

If you are interested in increasing wildflowers on your farm or property there are several programs available to help you! Your county USDA service center is a great place to start exploring the different program opportunities for your unique situation. Pheasants Forever has a Pathways for Wildlife program that financially assists producers without cropping history in planting native species. The Natural Resource Conservation Service promote wildlife conservation through their Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The Farm Service Agency offers a wide variety of options through the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to producers with cropping history. The Natural Resources Districts Nebraska Buffer Strip program seed mixes can be modified to include extra wildflowers and Soil and Water Conservation Program can be used to seed existing cropland back to pasture, including wildflower species.