SIDNEY — The Shelby Soil & Water Conservation District is now taking orders for the annual native plant sale. The sale this year is structured to help local Shelby County landowners that have CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) land enrolled through the Farm Service Agency. CRP land is required to have at least 32 native plant/pollinator plugs planted in each acre. To help those landowners, the district has made the sale simple, convenient, and affordable. Choose from six CRP-approved plants (Black-Eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Common Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Dense Blazing Star, New England Aster) and order the number of flats needed for $70 per flat (contains 32 plugs).

You do not need to have CRP land to purchase these plants, this sale is open to anyone in the public. The plants attract pollinators to any landscape and require less water/fertilizers/pesticides since they are native to the region.

You can order your native plants by stopping in at the Shelby SWCD office located at 822 Fair Road Sidney, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also download an order form at www.shelbyswcd.org under the Sales page. Full plant descriptions are available at both locations as well.

Orders are due March 1, 2021, and will be available for pick-up at the Shelby County Fairgrounds on April 8, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More native plants may be available for single-plug purchase on April 8 at the pickup location.

For questions contact Sophie Nieport, education coordinator, at 937-492-6520 or [email protected].