Pollinator Action Case Studies

The Gallatin Case Study

Landscapes designed and installed:

Additional Landscape Designs:

Site History and Background

The Gallatin site is a former apple and pear orchard, with active fruit production taking place from the 1950s-1990s. The property sits in the foothills of the Taconic Mountains and comprises 197 acres of field, forest, and wetland; over 100 acres of the total site have been maintained as open field, mostly in the location of former orchard plantings.

The site installation was managed by the owners, a young married couple who met while studying ecological restoration in graduate school. They acquired the property in 2016 with plans to use the open fields for grass-fed beef production, but transitioned to managing for native biodiversity.

To prevent the spread of invasive jumping worms on the relatively pristine site, the owners planned to install only seeds or bare-root plants in most areas of the property. They also wanted an overall low-maintenance project that could be managed by their labor alone; and they wanted to avoid use of plastic tarp in site preparation to avoid generating plastic waste.

Owner Perspective

When we purchased the property, the fields had not been mowed in at least ten years, and were dotted with invasive shrubs and dominated by goldenrod, which we believed to be undesirable. We ripped out the shrubs and began planting cool season pasture mixes, mowing the fields in July or August to suppress the goldenrod in favor of those grasses. We continued summer mowings until 2021, at which time we had a life-altering realization: the Hudson Valley does not need more grass- fed beef; it needs more intact, rich native habitat that supports all the creatures that call the Hudson Valley home, including birds, pollinators, and other insects – a need too often overlooked by landowners, farmers, gardeners and land managers obsessed with carbon sequestration (as we were then).

We realized that what we were doing and what we planned to do was terrible for native pollinators, birds and biodiversity. We decided to abandon the idea of grassfed beef entirely and pivot to managing the property for native biodiversity with a twofold approach: implementing restoration plantings like those described here, and aggressively managing deer. (Our freezer is now full not with grass-fed beef, but with venison, a truly carbon-negative and biodiversity-positive meat.) Actively restoring biodiversity on the land we steward became our primary mission, so we jumped at the chance to pilot an at-risk pollinator habitat restoration project. And we decided to plant our Pollinator Action meadow in a field that we had unthinkingly converted to non-native hayfield just a few short years ago. 

1. Gallatin Planting: Seeded Meadow

Site area: 3 acres

Soil: Poorly draining clay loam with pockets of moist clay; moderately sloped

Sun exposure: Full

Site history: Former hayfield 

Existing vegetation: European cool-season grasses, mostly smooth brome. Some native plants, including goldenrods (Solidago spp.). Minor patches of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris).

Site preparation: Repeated tillage was the main prep method. Small patches of mugwort were treated with herbicide (1.5% glyphosate) in May prior to beginning tillage. Site was moldboard plowed and disced in June, then shallowly disced another four times over the summer, approximately every three weeks, with the last tillage round in September. Site owners removed large rocks from the field by hand between each tillage round.

Seed Sourcing: Three species were sourced as local ecotype seed from Eco59. Ernst Seed provided Albany Pine Bush ecotypes of several additional species. The remaining species (no local ecotype option available) were purchased from Prairie Moon. Site owners also harvested seed of some species onsite. 

Cover Crop: Winter wheat at 100 lb/acre broadcast-seeded and rolled in in September

Meadow Seeding: Meadow seeds were installed with a Truax native seed drill on 10/26. Meadow mix seeding rate was 8.5 lb/acre.

Existing Conditions and Preparing for Tillage

  • Example of existing spring vegetation in the meadow field - overwhelmingly populated by European cool-season pasture grasses, with a few nonnative annual and perennial weeds. Photo: PCA

  • The brown vegetation in the center of this image was killed using a single application of herbicide (1.5% glyphosate) in May, prior to the first round of tillage. This patch included an area of young mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris, one of the most pernicious invasive species in meadows. Mugwort spreads and re-grows from root fragments, so it must be fully killed before the roots are disturbed by tilling.

  • The first mowing pass on the field, prior to the first tillage round, on May 23. Photo: PCA

  • Brush hog mower in action. Photo: PCA

  • The meadow field after close mowing, May 23. Photo: PCA

Moldboard Plowing and Initial Spring Tillage

  • The first tillage pass, using a moldboard plow, on May 25. Photo: PCA

  • Moldboard plow in action, May 25. Photo: PCA

  • The field after tilling with a moldboard plow but prior to tilling with a disc, a shallow tillage tool which creates a much smoother soil surface and breaks up clods. Photo: PCA

  • Shallowly tilling the field with a disc as part of the first tillage round on May 25. Photo: PCA

  • The fully plowed field, May 25. Photo: PCA

Repeated Tilling, Weeds, and Rocks

  • The first weed seeds germinating after the initial tillage round, seen on June 13. Germination of these weeds was likely slower than normal due to a lack of rain and soil moisture. Photo: PCA

  • The second round of tillage on June 21st took place after a period of drought. Wind erosion of dry soil can be seen. Photo: PCA

  • Regrowth prior to second tillage round, taken on July 5. Photo: PCA.

  • The summer of 2023 included many intense rain events, which created significant erosion channels in the sloped areas of the tilled meadow. Photo taken on August 23. Photo: PCA

  • The field after multiple tillage rounds on August 23. Photo: PCA

  • After three tillage rounds, most of the weed seed bank has been exhausted. The only remaining weeds in this photograph taken on August 23 are patches of smooth bromegrass (center), which can resprout from tiny fragments of root even after repeated tilling. Photo: PCA

  • Collecting large rocks from the tilled field on June 20. Photo: PCA

  • Removing large rocks from the field on July 5, before a subsequent tillage round. Photo: PCA

  • The final pile of rocks removed by hand from the three-acre field, seen in September. Photo: Adam T. Deen.

Cover Crop Seeding and Growth

  • Broadcast-seeding winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) cover crop seed using a tractor-mounted broadcaster. September 15. Photo: PCA

  • Rolling in cover crop seed after broadcasting to ensure seed-to-soil contact and improve germination rates. September 15. Photo: PCA

  • The field on September 15 after broadcast seeding and rolling in cover crop seed (winter wheat, Triticum aestivum). Photo: PCA

  • Initial germination and growth of winter wheat cover crop, taken on September 24, nine days after planting. Photo: PCA

  • Winter wheat cover crop growth in Gallatin meadow on October 11, four weeks after installation. Photo: PCA

Wild Seed Collection and Hand Seeding

  • Hand harvesting little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) seed to be hand-broadcasted in the meadow, elsewhere on the Gallatin pilot site property on September 26. Photo: PCA

  • Wild-harvested seed stalks of little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium); drying indoors after collection on Gallatin property. Photo: PCA

  • Wild-harvested seed pods of common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), left; and hemp dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum); right; drying indoors after collection on Gallatin property. October 5. Photo: PCA

  • Hand-broadcasting little bluestem grass seed (Schizachyrium scoparium) in Gallatin meadow. October 25. Photo: PCA

  • Mixed wild-harvested native seeds before hand-broadcasting in Gallatin meadow, including monkeyflower (Mimulus ringens) (tiny, sand-like orange seeds) and common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) (large, brown teardrop-shaped seeds at center image). Photo: PCA

Drill Seeding the Meadow Mix

  • Seeds to be installed on three-acre Gallatin meadow, prior to mixing.

  • Monarch Vegetation services staff adding mixed seed to the Truax native seed drill prior to planting. Photo: PCA

  • Truax native seed drill, operated by Monarch Vegetation Services, as seen from above. Note the contrast between the concentric rings from cover crop seeding, which was done on contour, and the furrows created by the native seed drill, in parallel rows. 10/27 in Gallatin. Photo: Adam T. Deen

  • Truax native seed drill (rear view). 10/27 in Gallatin. Photo: Adam T. Deen

  • Truax native seed drill, operated by Monarch Vegetation Services, as seen from above. 10/27 in Gallatin. Photo: Adam T. Deen

Budget

Item Cost Source/Vendor
Native seeds $4,265.30 Ernst Seeds, Eco59 Seed Company, Prairie Moon Nursery
Cover crop seed $180.00 Sparrowbush Bakery
Four rounds of tillage; cover crop seeding $4,100.00 Artisan Excavation
Drill seeding $3,810.00 Monarch Vegetation Services
Total Cost $12,355.38 Cost per acre: $4,118.46

Timeline:

May June July August September October
Treat mugwort patches with herbicide; mow field as low as possible Moldboard plow (deep tillage); disc (shallow tillage); pick rocks Disc, pick rocks (2x); order meadow seeds Disc, pick rocks Disc, pick rocks; broadcast cover crop/td> Hand broadcast species collected locally; drill-seed native mix

Design Modifications: Site managers adjusted the plant list to be less palatable to deer, more locally native, and to exclude species that are already growing abundantly on the property. 

Site Managers’ Top Takeaways

Site Preparation: We found that repeated tillage was expensive, created a huge amount of rock picking work, and led to serious disturbance, erosion and damage to the soil structure including long-term compaction. Tillage also risks bringing in jumping worms, and releases carbon to the atmosphere. For future projects, we will consider herbicide treatment, ideally organic herbicide. If we had to till again, we might consider planting a fast-growing cover crop like buckwheat between tillage rounds, to stabilize the soil temporarily, though this would add cost.

Seed Sourcing: We were surprised at how hard it was to find local ecotype seed. We spent an hour on the phone with Ernst going through the species one by one and having them look up the available ecotypes. We hope large-scale local ecotype seeds will be more available soon! 

We removed a lot of species from the recommended list without increasing the quantity of other species, so our overall seeding rate was a little low. (The seed driller also noted that our mix seemed sparse, so we added some extra seed from prior projects on planting day.) 

The designed mix had a very high number of species. We know that deer browse will decrease the diversity of the meadow if we don’t fence it, which we’re considering. In the future we’ll likely begin with a simpler (and cheaper) mix. We also really enjoyed including wild seed from our property, but won’t know success rates for a few years. 

Seeding: We’re glad we seeded the cover crop in September before the meadow mix so it had a chance to really get growing, which is so important for winter erosion control. We saw good wheat germination but would increase coverage in the future to 150 lb/acre. 

The drill-seeding was extremely expensive on a per-acre basis because we had originally planned to seed 10 acres, and we were billed for that area despite decreasing our site to 3 acres. We plan to explore hand-broadcasting for future (smaller) projects; or look for a local seeder with lower mobilization and overhead costs. 

The seeder arrived at our site with some caked-on soil, which may spread invasive plants or worms - always a risk when bringing in equipment. We also asked the drill seeder to seed the site on contour, but they didn’t have experience doing that, so the site was seeded in back-and-forth rows. We’re concerned about winter erosion in those rows since the site is sloped.

2. Gallatin Planting: Moist Hedgerow

Site area: 12’ x 100’ = 1200 square feet

Soil: Moist to wet clay, poorly draining

Sun exposure: Full

Site history: Disturbed; gentle slope formerly graded off as part of house construction

Existing vegetation: Mixed non-native cool-season grasses

Site preparation: Single application of 1.5% glyphosate (as Roundup) 8 weeks before planting. Applied by site owner, a certified herbicide applicator, via backpack sprayer.

Preparing for planting: Plants were ordered in July and delivered or picked up the week before planting, and staged in a shady area. Container plants were laid out in the planting area according to the design on the day before planting. Bare-root plant locations were indicated with flags during layout, and plugs were added after container and bare-root planting was complete.

Planting tools: Holes were dug using shovels and pickaxes (for larger shrubs). 

Project labor: No professional labor. Forty hours of unpaid labor: Fifteen minutes to spray-kill with backpack sprayer; four hours for two people to lay out plants; four hours for nine volunteers (recruited by the site owners) to plant, including a lunch break. 

Site Preparation with Herbicide

  • Applying herbicide in early August. Photo: PCA

  • The strip to be planted, shown on August 23, 18 days after herbicide application. Photo: PCA

  • The dead vegetation of the hedgerow strip was mowed prior to beginning plant layout, shown here in its early stages. Photo: PCA

Hedgerow Layout and Planting

  • The site manager working on plant layout on September 16, the day before planting. Photo: PCA

  • Completed plant layout, with occasional orange flagging indicating locations of bare-root plants or plants that had not yet arrived from the vendor. Photo: PCA

  • Beginning planting. Photo: Adam T. Deen

  • A pickaxe was used to dig holes for larger plants in the dense, rocky, wet clay soil. Photo: Adam T. Deen

Budget

Item Cost Sources/Vendor
Plants 2,270.29 Tiny Meadow Farm, Barkaboom Native Plants, Cold Stream Farm, Prairie Moon Nursery, Northeast Pollinator Plants, New England Wetland Plants
Site Preparation $0.00 Site owner provided all labor and site preparation materials
Planting Labor $0.00 Planting was completed by volunteers
TOTAL COST $2,270.29 Total cost per square foot $1.89

Timeline:

June July August September
Begin plant sourcing Plant sourcing and herbicide treatment  - Layout and planting on 9/16

Design modifications: The site owners omitted some of the taller recommended plants (trees and shrubs) to preserve the viewshed. They also increased the quantity of Prunella vulgaris ssp. lanceolata plugs to provide for a denser planting (a “matrix” of small plants around large ones). They further substituted or omitted some plant species due to sourcing difficulty, sun or soil requirements of the recommended species, and a focus on locally native plant species.

Site Managers’ Top Takeaways

Site Preparation: Herbicide treatment was easy, quick and cost-effective. We were comfortable using herbicide in the hedgerow location due to the small size and distance from native plants or wild areas. However, cool-season grasses began to resprout in late September after planting. In hindsight, we should have treated the cool-season grasses during their spring growing period. In the future, we’d plan for two herbicide treatments, in June and August, rather than just one in July.

Plant Sourcing: We were thrilled to find local ecotype options for many of the recommended plant species and highly recommend both Tiny Meadow Farm and Barkaboom Native Plants. However, sourcing the remaining species was a significant undertaking - we spent at least 25 hours on plant sourcing research over the summer. For future projects we’ll incorporate that research into our project timeline planning.

Planting: We did all our digging by hand, which meant more labor than using an auger; but the wet clay soil and many rocks would have made mechanical digging impossible. We found that plant layout took just as long as planting, and urge anyone planting from a design drawing to complete all on-the-ground layout by the day before planting.