Kathy Krezek Larson Tallgrass Prairie
Sanctuary Stewards: Frontier Natural Products Co-op

The Frontier prairie, located at the headquarters of Frontier Natural Products Co-op in Norway, Iowa, was dedicated as the Kathy Krezek Larson Tallgrass Prairie upon the retirement of Vice President of Sustainability Kathy Larson after 33 years at Frontier. Kathy championed the prairie and treasured the plants growing there, making the dedication an especially fitting tribute to her Frontier legacy.

The prairie, which was previously corn and bean fields, was planted in the spring of 1992. Employee volunteers planted 21 acres of tallgrass prairie with an eight-acre border of native hedgerow plants on three sides to provide food and shelter for wildlife. Some of the buffer zone shrubs and a six-acre section of the original prairie planting didn’t survive the drought that occurred that year, but they were restored as part of the prairie’s 20th year anniversary celebration.

Prairie photos and more information are available online at Frontier’s prairie webpage and Kathy’s blogs of her prairie walks throughout the seasons.