Page 22 Stories of the Heartland • Sunday, September 20, 2026 hometownsource. com / heartland /
A return to native prairies...
A field of wildflowers surrounds Prairie Restorations of Princeton at 31646 128th St. NW. showcasing the beauty of native plant life.
Photo provided
Prairie Restorations aims to restore Minnesota habitats by spreading the seed of native plant life
BY CHLOE SMITH STORIES OF THE HEARTLAND
PRINCETON – In a time before Minnesota became the state we know today full of farmland, suburbs, businesses and other signs of urban life, the land hosted a thriving ecosystem bursting with native plants that catered to local ecosystems.
Prairie Restorations Inc. based in Princeton has made it part of its mission to restore as many native plant habitats as possible.
Prairie Restorations incorporated in 1977 at the hands of Ron Bowen, but his mission started nearly five years earlier from the trunk of his car.
After attending school for forestry, Bowen found a passion for native plants after working as a gardener and getting to know his boss’ mother who was a wildflower connoisseur.
“ At Prairie, our emphasis is on native plants of local origin,” Bowen said.“ There are many methodologies to do that. Part of our challenge is that there are many, many species, each one having its own characteristics.”
Prairie Restorations property in Princeton spans over 400-acres and is home to hundreds of different varieties of wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs.
These plants create homes for native wildlife and pollinators which in turn benefits humans through our food sources. They can also help water tables, soil erosion and other natural processes.
Some of Minnesota’ s native plants include blackeyed susans, milkweed, indian grass, dogwood and wild strawberries.
Prairie Restorations works with just a small portion of all the native plants – focusing on those that perform well in sandy soils – and aims to keep the gene pools of their plants as close to their origins as possible.
“ We’ re still working on species that we started 25 years ago and they still aren’ t ready for mass production,” Bowen said.