Native food plot seed mixes for wildlife-first landowners.

Why native beats brassicas

Annual food plots — brassicas, oats, ladino clover — hit hard in year one and disappear. Native warm-season grasses and forbs take longer to establish, but once they do, you get forage, seed, insect biomass, nesting cover, and winter thermal cover from a single planting that holds for a decade or more with minimal inputs.

• Deep roots survive drought and improve soil structure.
• Standing residue holds snow and buffers cold snaps.
• Forb-heavy blends produce the insects poults and chicks need.
• Compatible with most CRP practices — no separate contract needed.

Species we blend

Seeding rates & timing

Rates assume a clean, firm seedbed and a native-seed drill or broadcast + cultipack. We'll refine PLS by species based on your soils and goals when you request a quote.

CRP-compliant food plot options

You don't have to choose between wildlife and CRP payments. Most of our native food plot blends drop cleanly into these practices:

• CP2 — Native Grasses · warm-season grass base for deer bedding and upland cover.
• CP4D — Permanent Wildlife Habitat · grass + forb + shrub blends for year-round habitat.
• CP25 — Rare & Declining Habitat · diverse native mixes tuned to your ecoregion.
• CP38 SAFE · state-specific bobwhite, pheasant, and grassland bird mixes.
• CP42 — Pollinator Habitat · high-forb blends that also feed upland broods.

Not sure which practice applies to your acres? Read our CRP compliance checklist before you order.

Laying out a plot

1. Site it between bedding cover and a food or water source, not in the middle of an open field.
2. Keep plots long and narrow (30–120 ft wide) so deer and birds feel edge on both sides.
3. Kill fescue and brome the season before with a fall glyphosate burndown.
4. Drill or broadcast at the rates above into a firm, weed-free seedbed.
5. Mow above 8" in year one to knock back annual weeds without cutting the natives.
6. Burn or strip-disc on a 3–5 year rotation to keep the stand vigorous.

Frequently asked questions

What is a native food plot?

A native food plot is a stand of regionally adapted grasses, forbs, and legumes planted to feed deer, turkey, quail, pheasants, and pollinators. Unlike brassicas or clover monocultures, native plots persist for years, hold up to drought, and double as nesting and brood-rearing cover.

Are native food plots CRP-compliant?

Yes — most native mixes we blend can be built to CP2, CP4D, CP25, CP38 SAFE, or CP42 pollinator habitat specifications. If your acres are already enrolled, we'll match the species list and PLS rate to your conservation plan.

Native vs introduced species — which is better for wildlife?

Introduced species like ladino clover or brassicas produce heavy short-term forage but die back and leave bare ground. Native warm-season grasses and forbs green up later, produce seed and insects deer and upland birds actually key on, and stay standing through winter for thermal cover.

How many acres do I need?

Even a half-acre native plot in the right spot outperforms a five-acre clover field with no cover. We recommend 1–3% of a property in food plots, staggered near bedding and travel corridors.

When should I plant?

Native warm-season mixes go in as a dormant seeding (Nov–Mar) or a frost seeding into a clean, firm seedbed. Cool-season and pollinator plots can also be drilled April–May depending on your zone.

How long until the plot is productive?

Expect visible cover in year one, real forage and seed production in year two, and a fully established stand by year three. Native plots reward patience with a decade or more of low-input habitat.