Part of the mission of any soil and water conservation district (SWCD) is to make sure folks are very much aware of the importance of being the best possible stewards of our natural resources. This year’s theme during Stewardship Week will be “Home is Where the Habitat Is”, with good habitat being right at the heart of the matter where wildlife is concerned.
Each year our local Erie-Ottawa-Sandusky (EOS) Pheasants Forever Chapter conducts a PF Food Plot Seed Program, whereby a landowner can submit a request for free seed they can plant on their property. Establishing such cover adjacent to a good habitat area is a way to supply a vital necessity for upland birds, deer, wild turkeys and other wildlife, especially during the harsh winter months. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has a neat fact sheet below that offers a few food plot planting considerations.
Seeds available again this spring through the EOS PF Chapter will include field corn, sorghum, soybeans, and a very limited amount of sunflower seed. The main stipulation is that these food plots must not be harvested! And since the seed supply is somewhat limited, it will be made available on a “first come” basis, with a priority consideration granted to PF members.
So, what if you’re not a hunter? No problem, for anyone who enjoys seeing wildlife, here’s an opportunity for you to help out, knowing that you have provided a supplemental food source. To submit your request for food plot seed that can be planted yet this spring, summer or early fall, Erie County landowners can contact the Wildlife Specialist at the Erie Conservation District at 419-626-5211. Sandusky and Ottawa County landowners can contact Joe Uhinck, Wildlife Specialist and EOS Habitat Chairman, at the Ottawa SWCD office, 419-898-1595.
