Integrated Agriculture
Through integrated agriculture practices, Wildlands can preserve open space and farming heritage while improving ecological benefits for wildlife. This concept can be applied two ways: by utilizing agricultural techniques such as grazing to assist in the management of ecological preserves; or by using environmental principles in farming to enhance the farm fields’ value as habitat.

Wildlands uses its own cattle to manage vegetation on habitat preserves. Prescribed grazing helps the land managers maintain grasses at heights that meet habitat objectives for target species such as burrowing owls and Swainson’s hawks. The cattle also can help suppress invasive non-native plants.

Environmental management of farmland serves many purposes: preserving open space and farming heritage; producing revenue; and enhancing the usability of the farmland for wildlife habitat. Relatively minor adjustments to irrigation schedules; weed control practices, and mowing patterns can make a field livable for threatened and endangered species.

The Swainson’s hawk is a threatened species that benefits from integrated agriculture. See the Swainson's hawk case study for more information.