In September 2022, the Clifton Institute in Warrenton received a Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to fund a new program called The Virginia Native Seed Pilot Project. This project will launch the native seed industry in Virginia, which will make it possible to plant ecologically appropriate wildflower meadows.
There is substantial demand for seeds of native wildflowers and grasses for pollinator friendly solar installations, meadow plantings, and roadside revegetation in Virginia. But seeds of several species of plants that are common in native grasslands in the state, and beneficial for pollinators, are unavailable from seed companies. Furthermore, seeds of most species that are available have out-of-state genetics, which limits their utility to restore plant communities and provide pollinator habitat. These plants often bloom at the wrong time for our local insects or they’re too tall or too short.
“Native plants, especially native plants with local genetics, are crucial for supporting native insects, birds, and other wildlife,” says Clifton Institute Executive Director Bert Harris. “Not being able to buy the seeds of plant species native to Virginia, let alone from Virginian populations, is a critical obstacle to creating pollinator habitat statewide.”
The grant will fund a new Native Seed Coordinator position at The Clifton Institute. The Native Seed Coordinator with work with partners and volunteers to collect seeds of 15 species of wildflowers and grasses across the state. A new greenhouse at the Clifton Institute will also be partly funded by the grant and seedlings will be grown to then be transplanted in farmers’ fields. Virginia State University and Clifton Institute staff will work to establish a network of local producers who can serve as a commercial source of native seeds. In particular, the project will focus on equipping underserved farmers with the tools and skills they need to grow and sell this new high value crop. Other key partners in the project are the Virginia Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources, the Nature Conservancy, Ernst Conservation Seeds, and the Capital Region Land Conservancy.
Recent News on the project from the Clifton Institute:
Virginia Native Seed Pilot Project Progress
The Virginia Native Seed Pilot Project is moving full steam ahead into spring and summer. Check out this introductory blog and this winter update on the project.
Native Seed Project Coordinator Isaac Matlock has been busy enrolling this year's farmers into the program, supervising the building of a new greenhouse on the Clifton property, and taking care of the seeds that were collected last fall. Now that the new greenhouse is complete, the seeds volunteers helped collect in the fall are starting to grow into seedlings! We are grateful to an anonymous donor, George Ohrstrom, Mark Debord, and a Conservation Innovation Grant for supporting the construction of the new greenhouse.
In April, Isaac and Habitat Specialist Andrew also made time to visit Ernst Conservation Seeds in Meadville, Pennsylvania with the farmers. This trip gave everyone an opportunity to learn firsthand how to prepare, maintain, and harvest seeds from a variety of Virginia native plants, ahead of the farmers planting their own native plant crops later this year. We’re very grateful for Ernst Conservation Seeds for hosting us and being an incredible source of information for this project!
