" title="Ecoheartland"> Ecoheartland

We bid Nebraska farewell and headed south to Junction City, Kansas. After a day to catch up on sleep, laundry and video editing, we visited the Konza Prairie Biological Station to learn first-hand about prairie management and preservation. Director John Briggs and biologist John Blair showed us how management, including the periodic use of fire and animal grazing, can play an important role in ensuring a healthy mix of prairie grasses and plants.

Later, we visited Kansas State University in nearby Manhattan and the lab of Daniel A. Higgins to learn about solar materials research. Dr. Higgins’ lab focuses on using advanced imaging techniques to better understand the structure of nanoscale materials. These materials could, eventually, lead to inexpensive and relatively “green” photovoltaic coatings that can be painted on surfaces or printed on sheets.

After enjoying Junction City’s Sundown Salute 4^th of July fireworks, we drove south on scenic Highway 177 through the Flint Hills to stop by the Tall Grass Prairie National Monument and visit the historic towns of Council Grove and Cottonwood Falls.

Our last stop in Kansas was at the Elk Grove Wind Farm, a 150-megawatt installation located in part on the ranch of Peter Ferrell. Peter, a fourth generation cattle rancher, has become a passionate advocate for the benefits of wind power. According to Peter and his ranch manager, Jamie Nelson, the turbines provide a key additional source of revenue and don’t perturb the cattle or interfere with the operations of their ranch. And of course wind is a renewable source of power that is abundant in Kansas and throughout the heartland.

Oklahoma, here we come!

From Omaha, we headed further west, through Lincoln to Grain Place Foods — an organic farm and grain processor located near Aurora, Nebraska. The farm first went organic in 1953 and, after a brief return to conventional production, became one of Nebraska’s first certified organic farms in the early 1970s. Still in the family and run by David Vetter, the farm is unlike many organic grain producers in that they use rotational grazing of cows and hogs to fertilize the fields and replenish the soil. No additional fertilizers are used; weeds and pests are controlled via natural means. Starting in the fields, we traced how a crop goes from field to food via their on-site processing plant — which also provides finishing for other organic producers.

In Lincoln that evening, we enjoyed a fantastic meal at Dish, a local restaurant that is increasingly using local foods to create their culinary masterpieces. On Tuesday morning, we sat down with the owner, Travis Green and chatted about the challenges and benefits of this approach.

We also had the chance to talk green architecture with W. Cecil Steward, the founder of Nebraska’s Joslyn Institute, while we toured his Asian-influenced and efficient loft. The Joslyn Institute is working to foster green building in Nebraska, combat suburban sprawl and help the region envision a future that protects its unique natural resources.

On Thursday afternoon, we headed West, arriving in Omaha, Nebraska in time to attend the Ducks Unlimited Waterfowl Hunters Party. Ducks Unlimited is the largest wetland protection organization in the world with over 600,000 adult members in the US. Although the atmosphere, as billed in the invite, was “pure hunting,” the members and staff we spoke with were passionately concerned with preserving wetlands, ensuring water for ecosystems and responding to climate change.

Ducks is working in Nebraska to protect the Rainwater Basin, which is a critical stopover for migratory birds, using an innovative approach they’ve dubbed the Revolving Lands Program. This program buys degraded wetlands, restores them and then sells them to agencies or individuals with the stipulation that the land must be kept as a wetland.

Friday we headed north of town to visit Robert Byrnes’ Energy Farm. The farm is an off-grid test bed that uses a combination of wind, solar and biodiesel to generate all of its energy needs. Robert, trained as a chemist, is working on several interesting energy projects including an on-farm biodiesel system and a small-scale anaerobic digester that will capture methane from animal manure. 

After a great Saturday brunch in Omaha’s restored Old Market neighborhood, we talked issues with the Sierra Club’s Camelia Watkins and toured the now trendy downtown. Camelia, an Omaha native, showed us the sights and explained how the city is responding to a range of pressing environmental threats.