Working Lands: A Missouri Farmer Saves Prairie and Grassland Birds

My grandfather farmed organically near Deepwater, MO, for more than fifty years in the twentieth century. On the farm he owned there was still a patch of prairie grass, which he carefully preserved. When his family had moved from NE to MO in the 1890's with a covered wagon, they crossed miles of prairie on the trip. He talked about all the prairie chickens, rabbits and fish they caught and ate during their travels, His father, a farmer, had decided to return with his young family to IN, his original home, after living in a sod house for several years in NE. However, because of the excellent fishing and hunting he found in MO, the family settled in MO. Now, of course, pollution has fouled all the streams there and use of commercial herbicides and fertilizers continues to pollute the land. KS has proven that the native prairie is a more nutritious feed for cattle, which produces healthier beef. Why has it taken so long to convince people that agricultural chemicals are not good for the environment, for animals or for humans? Plowing under nutritious prairie grasses to make way for commercial mega-farms was a big mistake.

He by far is the nicest HERO for these birds and he does it silently without a lot of fanfair and loves every minute of it how wonderful.

All I can say is THANK YOU THANK YOU so very much.

After seeing Tom Smith on the cover of your magazine and then reading about his commitment to the conservation of grasslands I just had to let him know how much I admire him. He is a hero and a role model!