2025 will not be forgotten
Thank you so much for the growing support we received in 2025.
Native plants are our greatest teachers. The life lessons they offer keep coming back to remind us that we are part of this world, and that our behavior should model the millions of years of evolution manifested in these incredible plants.
So with that, we look to what they taught us this year.
Big Bluestem taught us to grow deep roots first. Height comes second.
By investing in our people, their talents, skills, and knowledge expanded our roots, unlocking capabilities that we’ll proudly carry into the latter half of the decade. That same investment went into our ability to grow plants, doubling production acres at our Meadows in Lonsdale, expanding greenhouse capacity, and filling out our cold storage facility with native seed products.
The real lesson is that reaching for the sky can be overrated. It’s digging down into the depths of the soil that gets you far.
Purple Prairie Clover tells us that each piece of the puzzle is integral.
Like the great nitrogen fixer and pollinator plant that Purple Prairie Clover is, making the prairie function at a much higher level, our cross-divisional collaboration completes the ecological cycle. From growing seed and plants, to installing the prairie, maintaining it, and regenerating it, we do it all. The integration of a great team in Kjolhaug Environmental Services (KES) expanded our ability to understand environments on a deeper level.
It’s not just about one piece. It’s about them all. It’s about the ecosystem you create, observe, appreciate, and draw inspiration from. Balance.
Milkweed shows us that it’s okay to be visible.
A lot of us owe it to the Monarch for being a beacon of ecological restoration, and by extension the great Milkweed family. In 2025, we had our first real venture into a very public event at the Minnesota State Fair, where we received a Best of award and, hopefully, inspired thousands to look at plants differently.
The lesson is simple. When you break out of your pod, good things happen. The world changes for the better, and there’s no fear in that.
Canada Wild Rye reminds us that safety comes from stabilization and awareness.
The intricate root system of Canada Wild Rye can be likened to stable footing, and its quick establishment in disturbed areas can be seen as situational awareness. In 2025, we set our focus on safety because injuries suck, and when they happen, they hinder our ability to Heal the Earth.
Like the plants that inspire us, we have to make sure our feet are set, stay aware of the situations we’re in, and create a culture where being smart is valued over taking one on the chin.
Compass Plant shows us how to stay on the goal.
The great Compass Plant’s leaves stay oriented pointing north to south. It’s important to keep the target of restoring 10 million acres by 2030 at the forefront of our minds. We’re at 4,618,825 acres at last count, and we couldn’t do it without all the amazing mission partners we have. We deeply thank you all and look forward to collaborating with you anytime in the future.
The value of staying true to yourself is undeniable. Keep putting yourself in places where you thrive, situations that help you grow, and leaf out in a way that gives you everything you need to accomplish your goal.
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