Effort to add tallgrass prairie at Good Earth picks up steam

A project to enhance Good Earth State Park with sustainable tallgrass prairie and other improvements is gaining momentum.

A recent grant from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation to EcoSun Prairie Farms will support an effort to establish a sustainable tallgrass prairie on 106 acres of retired farmland near the southwestern edge of the park.

Future phased improvements of the project could include hiking and walking trails, informational signage and educational initiatives.

“Few people in Sioux Falls or the region have walked through a sizable tallgrass prairie and witnessed the beauty and the diversity of wildlife and plants found in this heritage landscape,” said Peter Carrels, a member of EcoSun’s board of directors.

“This prairie will add a beautiful and ecologically significant component to the park, enriching the visitor experience there. Hiking and walking trails will allow the public to experience and appreciate this restored prairie.”

The South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department selected EcoSun for the project based on the organization’s experience with establishing and managing prairie. EcoSun previously restored and managed a 500-acre prairie between Brookings and Sioux Falls, a project that demonstrated the prairie’s biodiversity and wildlife characteristics as well as its economic contributions through the sale of nutritious hay, prairie-raised beef and native plant seed.

“GFP is excited and grateful regarding our EcoSun partnership,” said Jeff Van Meeteren, regional park supervisor. “We view establishment of tallgrass prairie at the park as a major step forward in enhancing the mission and appeal of the park, and we applaud EcoSun’s vision for the importance and value of prairie.”

With the foundation’s grant, the project is starting to raise funds publicly to support the initial planting, planning and tending needed to establish the prairie. If fundraising goals are achieved, the project could begin yet this spring.

“Core to our mission is helping to enhance the vibrancy of our community, so when the opportunity to help enrich this special park came our way, we knew we wanted to support this project,” said Patrick Gale, the foundation’s vice president for community investment.

“Good Earth is truly a gem within our community, and the opportunity to help enhance it in a way that adds aesthetic, ecological and educational value is a win-win from our standpoint.”

Visitors will not only learn about the prairie and its history but also about its value and potential economically.

The tallgrass prairie addition to Good Earth also will distinguish Sioux Falls as the only city in the Midwest to “have as large a prairie so near its boundary. It will be an extremely attractive location for the people who live here,” Carrels said.

Beyond its economic potential, restoring tallgrass prairie also offers a long list of ecological benefits, he said.

Restoring prairie is considered a type of regenerative agriculture. That’s because prairie helps to reverse the effects of climate change by building and rebuilding soil continuously. In doing so, it adds to the overall fertility and vitality of the soil by storing carbon.

“Prairie is a biological, ecological element of the landscape, and it was once the predominant ecosystem of North America,” Carrels said. “It’s truly an endangered ecosystem today.”

The tallgrass prairie project also ties to Good Earth’s mission, which is rooted in history and education.

As one of the oldest sites of long-term human habitation in the United States, Good Earth aims to educate visitors about the native tribes that once occupied the area.

“The one natural facet that’s been missing has been a large and diverse prairie, which was a critical part of the natural resources utilized by the Native Americans who lived in the park’s vicinity,” Carrels said.

Those interested in supporting the project can visit ecosunprairiefarms.org or the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation at sfacf.org.