I use my front yard as a test area before I planted my fields in pollinators. Here’s a little sample.
Mountain mint will have 300-400 bees on it all day long.
You don’t need a drill. Really good weed control before planting helps a lot. Broadcast seed in the middle of January. There’s a lot of information on the Bee & Butterfly Habitat funds website on pollinator fields establishment, and maintenance.
My vote is to leave it prairie. I think you're taking a step backwards. I took my fields out of row crops 7 years ago(corn/beans). I find myself planting less and less food plots and converting to pollinator type fields. These fields have increased the overall health and production of the...