Among miles of potato fields is a United States Department of Agriculture testing facility. At those facilities, Department of Agriculture employees are growing the next generations of grasses and flowers.

Loren St. John, USDA: "Our mission is to test and select plants that can be used for conservation purposes."

The plants seen here are native to Eastern Idaho. They are being tested in various ground to see if they would be strong enough to grow in the wild.

Loren St. John, USDA: "We need to know how it's going to perform out in the rangeland or whatever type of area that that plant is going to be used in."

After a ten year testing period, if the plant shows it can be self sustaining...

Loren St. John, USDA: "We are responsible for producing stock seed that goes to the commercial seed industry for large scale commercial seed production."

Why native plants? Because it balances the circle of life. For instance, the grouse use wildflowers to attract food.

Loren St. John, USDA: "Produce insects that the grouse chicks can eat and wildflowers draw insects in."

Ultimately the seeds would be used to help mother nature recover from a wildfire or other natural diaster.

Loren St. John, USDA: "And be able to put native species...native plant species back into those sites to help these other animals that need those plants but just aren't there."

Anyone who wants to see what they're growing can come take a look. They are just north of Aberdeen on Highway 39.