Center Valley
Center Valley was the first area we planted into prairie. The prairie area is about 16 acres - the two sides of Center Valley, and the front of the hill that has Big View Prairie at the top. When we bought the land, it was planted in soybeans. This is the way it looked that summer - the summer of 2000.
We didn't know anything about planting prairie, but we decided to try it. So that winter, the winter of 2000/2001, we planted it with prairie seeds.
Here we are - the very first day of planting - not knowing a thing about what we were getting in to.
But in spite of our inexperience, the prairie has thrived - here it is in the summer of 2008.
Here are photos and observations from each year, documenting some of the changes.