A Seed Story

February 14th 2023

By Leslie Hunter Cario

 

 

What an incredible opportunity for CCLC members to learn about native seed production this past August, when Ernst Conservation Seeds hosted us for a Field Day!  Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, in the northwest corner of the state, it was a journey for some participants, who traveled up to six hours for the chance to get a tour behind the scenes at this native seed production operation.  Organized by Kristen Koch, Vice Chair of the CCLC Board, along with Ernst staff, the field day’s objectives for participants included gaining a deeper understanding about what goes into producing native seed for restoration and ecological landscaping purposes, learning which seeds and other types of products are offered, and networking with other conservation landscaping professionals.  We took it all in, along with the sights and scents that made for a memorable day.

 

 

Founder Calvin Ernst started his company in 1964, after starting his first crop of crown vetch on a small portion of his parents’ farm.  Spanning the first 25 years, the company focused on producing naturalized species that would help solve the problems of soil erosion along highways and land in need of rehabilitation at strip mines.  The business has pivoted over the years, a factor in its long-term success, and turned its focus towards native species that could be used to control erosion, build or restore habitat, and create beauty.  More recently, this focus has broadened to provide targeted pollinator and songbird habitat.  Additionally, there has been a shift towards mechanization that allows the business to be viable and provides staff the timeto work on more interesting tasks.  Learn more about how Ernst Conservation Seeds grew over the years through an illustrated timeline in the Our Story part of their website.  In addition to Calvin, with support from his wife Marcia, the business is run by the next generation- Andy, Michael, and Robin Ernst, along with a dedicated and enduring team, all of whom play an important role in the company’s success.  Our field day was led by Mark Fiely, who has served as the Horticulturist at Ernst since 1995.  Having grown up on a nearby Crawford County farm, Mark went off to earn a B.S. in Horticulture from Penn State followed by a master’s degree in Horticulture from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, before returning to the area to work at Ernst.  Mark’s incredible depth of knowledge from his long tenure at Ernst and his enthusiasm for working with native seeds was evident as he patiently instructed our group throughout the field day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a personal connection to Ernst, this field day was a homecoming of sorts for me, having worked under Mark’s guidance at Ernst while a student at nearby Allegheny College.  It was also a chance for my husband and son to experience the place that captured my attention to native plants and helped shape my career as a native nursery operator and currently a consultant focused on native plants and conservation landscaping.  The work began with growing wetland plants for a research project while assisting with greenhouse production, and broadened to include much time with collecting, cleaning, and inventorying seeds.  It was incredible to see how much the operation had expanded in terms of its staffing, facilities, and growing areas which now cover 10,000 acres.

 

 

 

Upon arrival, we hopped on a bus to begin touring the seed production fields.  Our first stop was the field along Mercer Pike, where the main Ernst facility is located.  We looked out over rows upon rows of various native plants grown for seed production, including switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), beaked panicgrass (Panicum anceps), and blue false indigo (Baptisia australis).  Heading a little way out into the country and across French Creek, we witnessed one of the most wonderous sites of the day.  Acres and acres of swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) blanketed the landscape with their dark pink blooms and greeted our senses with a gentle, vanilla-like scent.  Multitudes of butterflies, many of which were Monarchs, flitted about sipping nectar from the milkweeds like some scene out of a fairy tale.  Additional production fields visited included butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), New York ironweed (Vernonia novaboracensis), and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa).  Our last field location covered the spectrum of minty goodness.  With similar growing conditions for each species, the field was divided out into wide sections of mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum, P. tenuifolium, P. incanum, and P. virginiana) as well as downy woodmint (Blephilia ciliata), bee balm (Monarda didyma), and spotted bee balm (Monarda punctata).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon returning to the main farm, we passed through a seed storage warehouse, checked out various types of farm equipment used to prepare fields and harvest seeds, and marveled at the numerous grain silos used to dry and store seed.  Back inside another large warehouse, Mark pointed out the many specialized types of tools and equipment used to clean, sort, store, and test the seed of over 200 species that are produced at Ernst Conservation Seeds.  The field trip ended up the road at Ernst’s greenhouses, a facility for producing plugs to be planted out in the seed production fields.  Our group was generously offered a sampling of extra plugs to choose from to fill our own trays to take home.  

 

 

As you might imagine, at the end of this remarkable day, our thoughts were filled with gratitude for the experience, wonder at the intricacies and scale of the operation, and an expanded appreciation for the native plant species that are so important to the work undertaken by each of the participants.

 

CCLC Board Secretary Leslie Hunter Cario runs Chesapeake Horticultural Services, consulting with nurseries, public gardens, landscape operations, and non-profit organizations on horticultural and ecological projects.  Leslie also serves on the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional Steering Committee member and is a CBLP Level 2 certified pro.

 

Leslie Hunter Cario

Chesapeake Horticultural Services

lesliecario@cheshort.com | www.chesapeakehort.com