Milpa Planting

Use Soil Health to Feed Your Neighbors
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Dr. Bill and Beverly Hammers provided the one acre location near Clearwater. Green Cover Seed provided 35 pounds of seed through their First Acre program at no charge. Max Tjaden planted the seed using the Sedgwick County Conservation District's 10 foot no-till drill. The goal is to teach soil health concepts while local groups harvest and distribute the produce in the Clearwater area.

Highlights: 

• The pond, and native grasses, adjacent to the milpa plantings provides habitat for many types of birds and wildlife.
• A solar powered well on a timer system supplied the water to flood irrigate the milpa planting in the wheat field.
• Heat did not stop Boy Scout Troop 898 from harvesting and sharing produce with the Clearwater Senior Center.
• Dr. Bill Hammers shared history, conservation and native grasses knowledge with Mr. Hampton's Clearwater High School government students. They harvested milpa produce and shared it with their community.
• Dr. Bill and Beverly Hammers faithfully watered the milpa plants during extreme drought by dragging around specially engineered PVC pipe.
• Okra and cowpeas were the most successful plants in the summer heat.
• The Hammers donated 28 acres for a native grass Prairie Park (Robert J. Hammers Memorial) just south of the milpa planting.