In the last 10 years alone, we have lost more than 50 million acres of grasslands. Habitat loss from factors such as agricultural conversion and invasive species, compounded by climate change, threaten the health of grasslands. Agricultural cultivation, development, and invasive species have led to a loss of at least 80% of these grasslands, including a loss of 99% of tallgrass prairie (fws.gov). In fact, in 2019 alone, approximately 2.6 million acres of intact grassland were plowed up to make room for row-crop production. With this loss of habitat, it's no wonder the populations of birds that depend on intact grasslands have also experienced similar declines. We are doing our part to reverse this trend by maintaining our land as permanent pasture. But we are taking it a step further, we refuse to mow or mechanically harvest our pastures and some paddocks are not grazed until mid-June. This allows ground nesting species such as the Bobolink and Sedge Wren to thrive and raise their young on our farm. Many other species have begun to call our farm home; Northern Harriers, Dickcissels, Kestrels, and Tree Swallows, to name a few. The Eastern Kingbird, our namesake, can often be seen perched on a wire near the cow herd where it leaves it's perch to feed on flying insects attracted to the cows.