[Pollinator] Meet an Iowa Farmer Who Puts Pollinators First

[Matthew Shepherd]

A nice story about pollinator conservation on an Iowa farm from Whole Foods
Market’s Whole Story blog.



Matthew





*******************



FROM: Whole Story (WFM blog)

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/meet-iowa-farmer-who-puts-pollinators-first



*Meet an Iowa Farmer Who Puts Pollinators First*

By Paige Schilt



“It sounds kind of crazy, you know, dumping gravel in the middle of your
field,” says fifth-generation farmer Andrew Dunham, “if you don’t
understand the ecological process.”



Andrew’s voice brims with enthusiasm as he discusses his latest plan to
improve habitat for native bees and other beneficial insects on Grinnell
Heritage Farm, his 80-acre organic farm in central Iowa. He’s eager to
explain the ecological logic that undergirds his innovations in the fields.



Native bees are crucial to fruit and vegetable production in the Midwest.
There are more than 4,000 species in North America, and each has different
pollen and nesting requirements to survive. To help accommodate those
needs, Andrew and his team have planted about 1,500 flowering shrubs around
the farm. They’ve also planted banks of bunch grasses to provide a comfy
tuft where bumble bees and other beneficial insects can bed down for the
winter — and avoid drowning when the snow melts in the spring.



“Some of these beneficial insects do not travel far, distance-wise. So if
you have, say, a huge field of broccoli, like 500 acres, and you don’t have
these features in the middle of your farm, but you do on the edges, you
might be getting some of that beneficial insect help on the edges of your
field, but you’re definitely not getting them in the center of your field,”
says Andrew.



Hence Andrew’s plan to scatter piles of gravel throughout his fields. It
may look “crazy,” but gravel can provide a home for ground-nesting bees
that pollinate everything from peppers to pumpkins.



Beetle bank



Andrew traces his passion for pollinators to a fateful 2010 farm conference
where he met Eric Mader, Co-Director of Pollinator Conservation for the
Xerces Society.



“Everything he said was just kind of revelatory,” Andrew remembers. As an
organic farmer, Andrew understood the interdependent relationship between
pollinators and flowering fruits and vegetables, but he was only beginning
to appreciate the challenges that pollinators were facing due to loss of
habitat.



“I knew enough to know that I needed to know more, and the information that
he presented that day was exactly what I needed to hear.”



Andrew left that day with an armful of Xerces Society handouts and a belief
that he could do something to help solve the problem of pollinator decline.
Six years later, the results are tangible. “With squash and some of our
other bee-pollinated crops, our yields per acre are going up. We’re able to
get more out of less acreage. So there’s economic incentive to put in some
of these features as well as ecological benefits.”



Environmental Leaders



The crew at Grinnell Heritage Farm is noticing native pollinators, and
beneficial insects have become a frequent topic of conversation. In order
to differentiate between the effects of heightened awareness and the
effects of habitat restoration, Andrew asked the Xerces Society to create a
farm-scale survey to help Grinnell Heritage and other farms to track
pollinator populations. The organization obliged, and the farm-scale survey
will roll out this spring.



Grinnell Heritage Farm is one of many Whole Foods Market farmer partners
who have received training and support from the Xerces Society. With help
from funds raised by Whole Foods Market customers, Xerces has trained over
25,000 farmers and land managers over the last four years.



When asked what he appreciates most about the Xerces Society, Andrew points
to their positive, can-do attitude. “Their message is that you can do
something about this.”



Have you made changes to your yard, farm or garden to help support
pollinator habitat? Tell us about them in the comments.







________



*Matthew Shepherd*

Communications Director



*[image: Xerces-logo-CMYK-email_Outlook]*



*Protecting the Life that Sustains Us*



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