Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens

As natural soil builders, carbon storers, and food and shade producers, trees provide an abundance of benefits to humans, animals, and insects alike. Trees are crucial to restoration and wildlife management projects.  

In 2024, a tree nursery will grow thousands of native fruit and nut-bearing trees for agroforestry (defined as the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal farming systems to create environmental benefits), conservation projects, and even planted on site at Powell Gardens. 

Bees turn nectar from wildflowers into delicious honey without the ecological damage associated with corn syrup or sugar cane production. Natural beekeeping methods prioritize bee health by mimicking their natural living conditions, thus supporting more resilient colonies with less intervention. Good Oak will strategically place 50-100 beehives in woodland and prairie landscapes across the property. In the future, the apiary will host demonstrations and educational programming.

The Midwest’s native ecosystem depends on land management from large herbivores. When introduced and moved strategically, grazing animals like sheep and cattle can be effective tools for creating diverse wildlife habitat, removing invasive plant species, and increasing soil health. This practice is known as conservation grazing, which can support prairie reconstruction if utilized thoughtfully and correctly.  

In partnership with Good Oak, a small herd of heritage cattle alongside sheep will strategically rotate to graze and reconstruct 276 acres of property not utilized as part of the public botanical garden. This acreage is certified by the National Audubon Society’s Conservation Ranching Initiative. 

As an Audubon Certified bird-friendly habitat, the rotational grazing at Powell Gardens is designed to help grassland birds, the fastest-declining bird species group in North America. Dickcissels, Eastern Meadowlarks and Henslow’s Sparrows are species that stand to benefit from an improved grassland habitat mosaic. 

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For more information regarding this initiative also check out our Frequently Asked Questions below.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Good Oak manages landscapes through ecological restoration, regenerative farming, and long-term stewardship. Good Oak will work with Powell Gardens to manage the spaces identified for reconstruction and restoration, manage the Flagship Farm, as well as provide educational opportunities.  

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Lincoln University of Missouri, a historically Black, 1890 land-grant, public, comprehensive institution, provides a diverse population access to excellent educational opportunities through teaching, research, and extension services within a nurturing, student-centered environment. Lincoln University of Missouri, located in Jefferson City, Mo., will work with the Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens to provide research opportunities alongside extension programming. 

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USDA NRCS’s mission is to deliver conservation solutions so agricultural producers can protect natural resources and feed a growing world.  Thanks to generous grant contributions from the USDA NRCS, the Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture at Powell Gardens will be a regional model for working with the natural cycles of the Midwest ecosystem with hands-on enrichment and experiential learning opportunities. 

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The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. Audubon’s state programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, Audubon’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Audubon is a nonprofit conservation organization.  

Thanks to generous grant contributions from the National Audubon Society, the 276 acres designated for conservation grazing are certified by the National Audubon Society’s Conservation Ranching Initiative. 

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The Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture is a new initiative that will provide an educational hub for the community to learn about regenerative practices and their implementation in the Midwest landscape.    

Regenerative agriculture is defined as the practice of using conservation and rehabilitation-forward approaches to food and farming systems.   

Powell Gardens will thoughtfully and strategically introduce cattle and sheep to 276 acres in support of Powell Gardens’ natural communities. The animals will remain on the back property and not interfere with the 175 acres that are open to the public (the botanical garden). This is part of the Midwest Center for Regenerative Agriculture’s conservation grazing initiative.  

Regenerative agriculture systems mimic the wild grazing that occurred as native grasslands and American Bison coevolved together. Cattle are also more closely related to Bison and better mimic that animal’s impact on North American grasslands. Sheep eat a broader diet and are closer to the ground, meaning that they will eat plants cattle leave behind. They work well together because they fill different niches to restore the grassland mosaic. Thoughtful stocking rate and rotation frequency affect the outcomes of grazing. 

As an Audubon Certified bird-friendly habitat, the rotational grazing at Powell Gardens is designed to help grassland birds, the fastest-declining bird species group in North America. Dickcissels, Eastern Meadowlarks and Henslow’s Sparrows are species that stand to benefit from an improved grassland habitat mosaic.  

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Conservation grazing is introducing and strategically moving grazing animals, which act as effective tools for removing invasive plant species, increasing soil health, and supporting prairie reconstruction. 

For more resources on conservation grazing, check out the following studies:  

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-47635-1 
2. http://lter.konza.ksu.edu/content/grazing-management-effects-plant-species-diversity-tallgrass-prairie 

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Honey production via natural beekeeping is regenerative for the following reasons: 

1. Native bee species (about 60 within the region) are more effective pollinators for native plant species.   
2. The real threat to native bees is habitat loss, which we are actively restoring on our farms. If you want to save the native bees, don’t fight honeybees, plant native plants.  
3. Along with sugar beets, it is one of the best options for producing sugar regeneratively at scale in our region.  

The initiatives will take place on Powell Gardens’ acreage that is not open to the public. While not at first visible to those strolling through our publicly-open 175 acres, there is plenty occurring to support the acreage in terms of supporting natural communities through agroforestry and natural beekeeping initiatives. Fencing will be installed around 276 acres not open to the public. This will maintain the safety of visitors and working animals while on Powell Gardens’ property.

Soon, Powell Gardens, alongside our partners, will offer educational opportunities, activities, and ways to engage with regenerative agriculture.