[Pollinator] California is New Haven for Pollinator Hedgerows (from Fox Business News)

[Eric Mader]

>From Fox Business News:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/california-new-haven-hedgerows-bloom

California is New Haven for Hedgerows: in Full Bloom Now
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DAVIS, Calif., May 7, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----If USDA and the
Xerces Society have their way, long rows of native wildflowers,
clovers and blooming shrubs could border agricultural fields all
across California. Currently the concept is in full bloom at USDA's
Plant Materials Center (PMC) near Lockeford, Calif., where the
partners hope to demonstrate to farmers and the public both the beauty
and the practical benefits of planting forbs such as California
poppies, lupines, baby blue eyes, clovers and other flowering plants
on the edges of fields, orchards or vineyards.

"It's no secret that honey bees have been having a hard time lately,"
says Mace Vaughan, Pollinator Program Director for Xerces. "Native
bees can work alongside the domesticated honey bees to pollinate the
cornucopia of fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in California. Having
flowers blooming from February to November will provide food and
habitat for native pollinators and honey bees alike."

California leads the Nation in adopting the practice of field-side
hedgerows and last year accounted for half of all those developed in
the United States. In 2009, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and farmers developed 57 miles of hedgerows - enough to
string these colorful "bed and breakfasts for pollinators" from Merced
to Fresno.

Margaret Smither-Kopperl, the newly-hired manager of the PMC, is
originally from England. While California farmers are leading the
adoption curve in the U.S., Smither-Kopperl says that hedgerows have
been common in England for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years.
While originally serving as a type of fencing, they also host wildlife
and pollinators and include berries and medicinal plants. "You can
even date the age of the hedges by the number of species they host,"
she says.

U.S. farmers in California and elsewhere have been using hedgerows
planted with native species for more than a decade now in order to
provide habitat for beneficial insects that can help control crop
pests. Thomas Moore, state biologist with USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service, says that incorporating forbs into the hedgerow
mix can create dense plantings that can outcompete field-bordering
weeds, while supporting pest management and pollination.

NRCS and Xerces, a non-profit looking out for the well being of
invertebrates, are working to design mixes of species that they hope
will be grown at NRCS Plant Materials Centers across the Nation. "Our
hope is to develop easy-to-follow prescriptions of species that
farmers and ranchers could adapt for their specific needs," says
Moore.

Several Resource Conservation Districts and other partners throughout
the state are working with NRCS and Xerces to demonstrate how
hedgerows are beneficial for different crops and locations throughout
California. The NRCS can share the cost of building hedgerows for
eligible farmers and ranchers. Field offices statewide can provide
more information or go to www.ca.nrcs.usda.gov. To view a short
YouTube video on California pollinators, go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0hyih9TBq8.

SOURCE USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
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Eric Mader
National Pollinator Outreach Coordinator
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Tel: 503-232-6639 Fax: 503-233-6794
Email: eric at xerces.org
Skype: eric_mader_xerces_society

Assistant Professor of Extension
University of Minnesota - Department of Entomology
Email: made0002 at umn.edu

The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that
protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their
habitat. Our Pollinator Conservation Program works to support the
sustainability and profitability of farms while protecting pollinator
insects. To join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our
work, please visit www.xerces.org.

Find all the information you need to conserve pollinator habitat at:
http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-resource-center/
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