All things conservation, prairie, gardening, hunting, and farming. From the fore-most voices of conservation and prairie to your casual backyard garden lovers, we’ve picked some of the most interesting brains around. Don’t miss it.

Barons author Austin Frerick joins Nicolas and Kent to unpack why American butter turned white, how JBS and Cargill captured the food system, what a chicken contract actually costs the farmer who signs it, and how ethanol quietly erased the pastures Iowa used to graze. Plus Costco, Sysco, and GLP-1s. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Riley takes the host chair for a Prairie Farm Podcast trivia showdown. Nicolas and Kent face 20 questions pulled from past guest episodes, covering prairie food plants, planting dates, grazing, Iowa water quality, and the Black Hawk War. Can you beat Nicolas and Kent's score? hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Iowa State agronomy professor Dr. Brian Hornbuckle joins Nicolas and Kent to talk weather, water, and the Iowa landscape. We get into corn sweat, why rain is coming in bigger chunks, how trading prairie for row crops changed our summers, and a NASA satellite that might spot thirsty plants early. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more)

Nicolas and Riley dig into milkweed banned in the EU, broomsedge, ragweed's 7.4 billion euro allergy bill, and the 2016 Palmer amaranth scare. Plus bare soil temperatures, cooler trout streams below prairie, and a mix built to bust clay. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Sarah Starman of Friends of the Earth joins Nicolas and Kent to break down pesticide tort immunity: who is lobbying for it, how the EPA got captured, and why only 1.4% of likely-carcinogen pesticides carry a cancer warning. Then forever chemicals, sewage sludge, and one condemned Michigan farm. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies) Analysis: EPA only requires cancer warnings on 1.4% of pesticides with probable and likely carcinogens -- Center for Biological Diversity The Chemical Industry Has Infiltrated the EPA — Friends of the Earth Tracing Bayer's ties to power and Tracking the Trump administration's favors to the pesticide industry — U.S. Right to Know What Happens if Bayer Pulls Roundup? — Farm Action Organic for All Study: Just two weeks on an organic diet can reduce pesticides in your body up to 95% -- Friends of the Earth

Nicolas is back from three weeks off, and the crew digs into solar on farmland: how many acres each Midwest state would need, whether panels wreck the soil, and the hard question nobody asks. What grows under them? Plus a wild bison versus fighting bull story you have to hear. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Join Nicolas and Kent as they sit down with Robert Poppe, Vice President of Marion County Bank. Robert unpacks the realities of ag lending, the true cost of farm consolidation, and how debt can either cripple or propel an operation. It's a candid look at the finances behind the farm. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Another NicoLESS coffee time and we are talking bovines and the state fair with our friend and fellow farmer Aaron Van Wyk. Hoksey Native Seeds McKay Insurance

Join Nicolas and Kent as they visit Diversity Farms owner Jon Judson, a veteran Iowa prairie reconstructionist. From local seed genetics and tough site preparation to interseeding, prescribed fire, weed management, and grazing, Jon shares practical guidance for building diverse native prairie communities that can truly thrive for decades ahead. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

We are joined by the talented Alex Hoksbergen this week for Coffee Time Wednesday. Enjoy! Hoksey Native Seeds Iowa Cover Crop

Iowa auditor and gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand joins the Prairie Farm Podcast to talk clean water, cancer, and conservation. He lays out a plan for the biggest prairie pothole and wetland restoration Iowa has ever seen, defends public land and hunting heritage, and makes the case for working across the aisle. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Coffee Time Wednesday is back. Nicolas, Kent, and Riley debate which famous conservationist they'd most want as a friend, why the Farm Bill stalled over SNAP, and whether ethanol actually pays off. Along the way: a post-ethanol Iowa, corn versus solar, and what makes a prairie look truly healthy. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Retired water scientist Chris Jones (author of The Swine Republic and now Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture) joins Kent and Nicolas to talk nitrate, tile, and crop dusting. His pitch for Iowa transition a million corn acres to pasture, oats, prairie, and pollinator habitat, and finally treat clean water as a right. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Coffee Time Wednesday takes on the world on fire in August 2026, from Oregon's largest wildfire ever to France's biggest evacuations since World War Two. Kent, Nick, and Riley dig into fire suppression, invasive fuel loads, lost grazers, and why some landscapes are becoming unlivable. Also... broccoli for breakfast. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Join us as we welcome Zach Lahn back to the Prairie Farm Podcast. We dive into Iowa's rich history, the urgent need to address water quality and cancer rates, and practical incentives for regenerative agriculture. Zach shares his vision for keeping young Iowans home and revitalizing our public schools. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Join Nicolas, Riley, and special guest Nick Moats as they dive into the realities of farm insurance, food supply chains, and the value of sitting still in a deer stand. Plus, the guys discuss late-summer prairie blooms and announce an extremely limited release of hand-harvested wild strawberry seeds. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Peter Byck, director of Carbon Nation and Rooted So Deep, joins The Prairie Farm Podcast to discuss the massive benefits of AMP grazing. We explore how regenerative practices build soil health, boost farm profitability, bring back wildlife, and why huge corporations are funding independent science to secure resilient food supply chains. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Join Nicolas, Kent, and guest Aaron Van Wyk for Coffee Time Wednesday as they dive into the environmental impact of massive wildfires and the looming Colorado River drought. They explore the delicate balance between human infrastructure and nature's limits, questioning how society adapts to extreme environmental challenges. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more)

Join Nicolas and Riley as they sit down with Ruth McCabe, Conservation Manager at Heartland Cooperative. They dive into the realities of agricultural conservation, why certain practices work in other countries but struggle in Iowa, the balance of economics and environment, and why there's no single scapegoat for water quality. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) iowacovercrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, waterway mixes, forage mixes, small grains, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Join Nicolas, Kent, and Riley on this Coffee Time Wednesday as they discuss the hidden impact of agricultural chemical drift on native oaks. The guys also explore the massive surge in native plant popularity and why people are choosing prairies over lawns. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Kevin Kincaid, CEO of Knoxville Hospital and Clinics, joins Nicolas and Kent. Kevin shares about his time serving on a nuclear submarine during the Cold War and dives deep into the complexities of rural healthcare, hospital funding, and the future of medicine in America. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop mixes, small grain mixes, and more)

Join the Prairie Farm Podcast crew on a road trip as we dive into the origins and natural predators of invasive prairie weeds. Smooth Brome, Sericea Lespedeza, Canada Thistle, Queen Anne's Lace, and Wild Parsnip, and discover what keeps these prolific plants at bay in their native ranges. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, backyard prairie, hunting mixes, CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and dog hunting supplies)

Join Nicolas and Kent as they sit down with Elizabeth and Loren Steele from Hamilton Native Outpost. They discuss the incredible nutritional benefits of prairie-raised beef, managing native grazing systems, and why diverse plant communities build healthier livestock and landscapes. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP mixes, native pasture mixes, native seed, backyard prairie, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and all your bird dog supplies)

Join Nicolas, Kent, and Riley for this week's Coffee Time as they dive into the latest Farm Bill updates, extending CRP through 2031, and exciting new cost-share opportunities for prairie burning and grazing. Plus, the guys discuss America's billion-dollar littering problem and what it costs the USA. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP mixes, hunting habitat mixes, pollinator mixes, native pasture mixes and more) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop, water mixes, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

Join Kent and Nicolas as they welcome Travis Hall, Associate Editor of Field & Stream, to discuss public land advocacy, the roadless rule, and why protecting our wild spaces requires active participation from hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts everywhere. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP mixes, backyard prairie, pollinator mixes, and hunting habitat)

Skip Sligh returns to The Prairie Farm Podcast to discuss the harsh realities of modern land stewardship. From the challenge of hunting mature whitetails to combating the rise in rural poaching and managing vulnerable acreage, Skip offers an honest, grounded look at what it takes to protect Iowa's native habitats. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP, hunting habitat, pollinator mixes, and more) McKayInsAgency.com (for all your insurance and financial planning needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and bird dog supplies)

Join Nicolas and Kent for another Coffee Time Wednesday! This week, they share their harrowing adventures with old farm equipment, the realities of harvesting native seeds, and dive into a deep discussion on the changing economics of dairy farming and agricultural labor. Grab your coffee and tune in! hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, CRP, hunting habitat, backyard prairie, and more) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop, forage mixes, waterway mixes, and more)

Join us as Dr. Larry Weber from the University of Iowa discusses the critical intersection of water quality and public health. We explore off-grid living, the importance of native prairie in conservation, and the growing nitrate crisis in Iowa's waterways. Discover how informed communities can protect our shared water resources. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed needs including CRP, native pasture, backyard prairie, pollinator mixes, and more) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop mixes, water way mixes, small grains, and more) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

We answer the following prairie questions in the second half of our FAQ miniseries. 8. What is the best way to broadcast both large and small seeds evenly? 9. What is the role of prescribed burning in long-term prairie maintenance? 10. Will the native plants spread and fill in over time? 11. What do I do about reed's canary grass? 12. What do I do about Canada Thistle? 13. What do I do about brushy encroachment? 14. What do I do about Brome in my prairie? 15. What do I do about Big Bluestem that is taking over? 16. Can I interseed flowers back into my prairie? hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, Backyard Prairie, Warm Season Pasture Mixes, Hunting Habitat, Buffer Strips, and more!) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting gear, and your bird dog's gear)

Matt Hatala of Prairie Rose Farms shares his unlikely path from adoption and military service to raising pasture pork in Iowa. He discusses regenerative hog production, farm marketing, local food systems, water quality, animal welfare, and why rebuilding agriculture requires courage, transparency, and healthier relationships with land, community, and risk. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, Pasture Mixes, Habitat Mixes, Native Seed, and more) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop mixes, forage mixes, small grain mixes)

In this Coffee Time episode, Nicolas, Kent, and Riley debate whether the Midwest really feeds the world, dig into commodity calories, exports, food security, environmental tradeoffs, and what prairie, local food, grazing, and conservation minded choices might mean for Iowa's future. Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your native seed needs: CRP, backyard pollinator, habitat, native pasture, and more) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your insurance and financial planning needs) BirdHuntingSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and bird dog supplies)

Hal Herring joins The Prairie Farm Podcast to unpack American Prairie, grazing permits, public lands, ranching culture, and the hard history behind conservation in the West. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, backyard prairie, Hunting Habitat, native grazing mixes, and more!) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and bird dog supplies)

In part 1 of our FAQ mini series, we answer the following questions. 1. How long does it take for a prairie planting to become established? 2. How do I prepare the site for planting? 3. Is tilling or breaking up the soil recommended before planting? 4. When is the best time of year to sow native prairie seeds? 5. How do I handle maintenance (mowing) in the first year? 6. How high should I mow in the first two years, and when should I stop? 7. Should I water or fertilize my newly planted prairie? hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, backyard prairie, native wildflowers and grasses, hunting habitat, and more) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop, waterway mixes, small grains, and more) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

Andrew Di Alessandro of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joins the Prairie Farm Podcast to discuss Neil Smith Refuge, prairie restoration, prescribed fire, bison and elk grazing, private lands conservation, funding challenges, and how landowners can connect money, recreation and legacy to meaningful habitat work across Iowa and Illinois. Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your CRP, Backyard Prairie, Native Pasture, Hunting Mixes, and more) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supply needs, and all your bird dog supply needs)

On this Coffee Time episode, Nicolas and Kent crack into the global nut industry (forgive the pun), from California almonds and pistachios to pecans, cashews, and peanuts. They talk water use, pollination, pricing, supply chains, and why legumes might matter more in native prairie establishment than we usually give them credit for here. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP mixes, backyard prairie mixes, hunting mixes, and more) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop and small grain and cool season forage needs)

Another of Doug Duren's quarterly episodes where we have a wide ranging conversation on turkey habitat, savanna restoration, Aldo Leopold, chainsaw stories, and native landscapes. The crew digs into why habitat is the answer, why native plants matter, and how restoring prairie brings back birds, bugs, and the wildness we need.

Senior Environmental Scientist for EOR Kevin Griggs joins us to talk reed canary grass, wetland restoration, Iowa water quality, tile drainage, data centers, and the hard truth behind conservation work. His conservation conversation is practical, honest, and hopeful. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your wetland mixes, backyard prairie mixes, CRP mixes, hunting mixes, and more) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your small grain, cover crop, and forage mixes) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

This week on Coffee Time Wednesday, we dig into everything shaking up commodity markets heading into summer. It's complicated with a lot of nuance, so grab your coffee cup, and let's jump in! hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, backyard prairie, and hunting habitat mixes) birdhuntersupply.com (for all your bird hunting equipment and bird dog equipment)

Mark Schneider, development and marketing manager of the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal, Missouri, joins the Prairie Farm Podcast to talk about the real Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and how he became the "world's first celebrity". hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seeds, CRP, hunting habitat needs) McKay Insurance (for all your financial advising and insurance needs) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop, forage mixes, waterway mixes and more)

We dig into two big conservation stories... the Trump administration's memo opening select national park lands and wildlife refuges to hunting, and the BLM's decision to revoke American Prairie Reserve's bison grazing leases. We weigh both sides honestly and talk about what it means for the long game. hokseynativeseeds.com (for CRP, backyard pollinator, native pasture mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird dog and bird hunting supplies)

Travis Frank, host of The Flush TV show and podcast, joins Kent, and Nicolas in Minnesota for a wide-ranging conversation on upland bird hunting and habitat. From Iowa pheasants and Kansas quail restoration to hunting dogs and conservation philosophy, this one covers a lot of ground worth covering. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your habitat mixes, CRP mixes, and other native seed needs) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop, small grain, and non row crop seed needs)

Nicolas, Kent, and Riley break in the new studio with a conversation about society's spring lawn routine. They dig into No Mow May, what actually started it, what a 2023 peer review found, and which common lawn weeds genuinely help native bees. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your backyard prairie, pollinator mixes, habitat mixes, and native seed consultation) MckayInsAgency.com (for all your insurance and financial planning needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies)

Keith Horn stopped for coffee and a donut on his way mushroom hunting. A real estate sign a block away changed the course of his life. The 50 acres he bought in 2001 turned out to be the most diverse prairie we have ever seen, hosting 665 native species across five prairie types. Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your backyard prairie, CRP mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supplies and bird dog supplies needs)

Trees cut depression by a third, reduce crime, and make people spend more money. That's what the research says. Then the team brings a brand new Nature Medicine study linking Tordon herbicide to early-onset colorectal cancer, and the maps are nearly identical. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your prairie, CRP, hunting mixes, and native seed needs) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your grains, cover crops, forage mixes, and more) Mckayinsagency.com (for all your financial planning and insurance needs)

Johnathon Swanson from Polk County Conservation joins Nicolas and Kent talk about Iowa's water quality crisis. They dig into tile drainage, nitrates, saturated buffers, constructed wetlands, and what's actually working on the ground. Plus data centers, farm diversification, and quail nostalgia. Hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your backyard prairie, hunting habitat mixes, CRP mixes, pollinator mixes, and more) Mckayinsagency.com (for all your insurance and financial advising needs) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting needs, and for your bird dogs' supplies as well)

A new ISU study is shaking up how we think about prairies. It turns out pollinators don't just need the prairie, the prairie needs them back. Kent, Nicolas, and Riley dig into what declining pollinator populations mean for plant diversity, then shift to the Boundary Waters mining fight and what's actually at stake ecologically. Hoksey Native Seeds (for all your backyard prairie, CRP, Prairie Strip Mixes, Hunting Habitat and More) IowaCoverCrop.com (for all your cover crop and small grain needs)

Val Van Kooten, administrator at the State of Iowa Historical Society, returns for her third episode. The conversation digs into pioneer journal entries, pre-tractor farm life, an April Fool's fact-or-fiction game, the phenomenon of declinism, claim jumper clubs, and what autonomous tractors might do to Midwest culture. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP mixes, backyard prairie mixes, hunting habitat mixes, and more) Oh and check out our new Prairie Farm Forum! Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop needs) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial planning needs)

This week on Coffee Time Wednesday Nicolas breaks down what would actually happen if the Corn Belt set aside 10% of its acres for conservation. Using over 40 sources, he walks through the county level economics of lost grain sales, higher commodity prices, hunting revenue, and CRP payments. The math might surprise you. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your CRP, native mixes, butterfly wildflower patches, hunting habitat mixes, and more!) BirdHunterSupply.com (to give back to conservation while purchasing your bird hunting supplies)

Thomas Mlsna is a habitat consultant and biologist who's spent 16 years rethinking how hunters manage land. In this episode, he breaks down the deer food pyramid, makes the case for smaller food plots in smarter locations, connects native plant diversity to EHD prevention, and challenges the entire model of chemical-heavy whitetail land management. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, habitat mixes, perennial food plot, CRP, backyard prairie, and native pasture mixes) Iowa Cover Crop (for all your cover crop and small grain needs)

Grab your coffee folks, it's time for another Coffee Time Wednesday! This week Nicolas, Kent, and Riley kick off Coffee Time debating whether Nicolas's cargo pocket jeans are fashion-forward or a complete disaster. From there the guys swap their best farm mistakes. Tractors buried in mud, discs wrapped around power poles, and $5,000 worth of hand-collected seed dumped on gravel. Then the crew digs into the US Forest Service's move from DC to Salt Lake City and what it might really mean for conservation. hokseynativeseeds.com (for CRP, backyard pollinator, native pasture mixes and more!) McKay Insurance (for all your insurance and financial advising needs) birdhuntersupply.com (for all your bird hunter supplies)

Molly Pickering, Policy Director for Illinois Stewardship Alliance, joins Nicolas and Kent for a wide-ranging conversation on what's actually broken in America's food system. From monopoly meat packers to cottage food laws to pesticide drift hitting small farms, Molly brings the policy perspective that most farmers never get to hear. hokseynativeseeds.com (for all your native seed, native pastures, native habitat mixes, and more) BirdHunterSupply.com (for all your bird hunting supply needs)