Here's the Buzz!
We love bees and farmers do too! Bees are essential to crop pollination. Plotting for Pollinators (P4P) helps farmers help pollinators by growing native plants on their land to benefit the small but mighty native and domestic bees.
Healthy bees help farmers and people who like to eat. Pollinator species are vital to more than one-third of the world's food sources. To date, we have planted 11.5 acres of native wildflowers to help the bees!
Help seed the pot so farmers can seed the plot!
Your donation helps healthy bees buzz by planting pollinator plots.
Here's what Dr. Andony Melathopoulos, Chair of the Oregon Bee Project, says about P4P:
"On behalf of the Oregon Bee Project, I would like to express our support for the Plotting for Pollinators project. The proposal comes along at an opportune moment, namely just as Oregon State University has developed expertise around creating pollinator habitat on carrot seed field headlands, as federal conservation organizations have begun supporting pollinator habitat projects in Oregon and as public concern over native bees has begun to grow. The proposed project would be the first commercial demonstration of integrating habitat into central Oregon vegetable seed production, potentially serving as a catalyst to wider adoption of these practices."
Click to read the full Oregon Bee Project letter of support .
Like to eat? Thank a farmer!
Honey bees play an essential role in pollinating carrot flowers for carrot seed production. However, carrot pollen by itself does not provide adequate nutrition to keep bees at optimal health throughout the pollinating season. Read more here.
Recent research suggests that providing supplemental nutrient sources for bees can help. Planting supplemental forage is designed to:
> Increase the health of honey bees
> Promote native bee populations
> Improve carrot pollination
Pollinator plant species can also double as cover crops, enrich soil and reduce erosion.
Why help farmers grow pollinator plots? Coz bees! And farms! And food!
Click here to watch "Biodiversity Begins with a B" with Jerry Freilich and learn about the Oregon Bee Project with Andony Melathopoulos.
"Oregonians care greatly about their bees. The Oregon Bee Project is a joint effort of Oregon State University Extension, Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon Department of Forestry. Together we provide state-level leadership on pollinator health. Our efforts include extensive training initiatives for land-managers and a native bee survey (the Oregon Bee Atlas). Our training has been highly effective and enabled us to promote specialty crop production in the region. Our bee survey has helped to demonstrate to consumers that high levels of bee biodiversity are associated with the kind of diverse crop production associated with specialty crops. But we rely heavily on successful demonstration projects in order to promote bee-friendly farming practices to growers."
BEE
THE
CHANGE
P4P is brought to you by:
- Coalition for the Deschutes
- North Unit Irrigation District
- Middle Deschutes Watershed Council
- Central Oregon Agricultural Research and Extension Center
- OSU Honey Bee Lab
Farmers Can Learn More Here
P4P Info and Application Form for NUID Farmers
Click for information from the Xerces Society about farming for pollinators.
Click for information about the Oregon Bee Project and their Flagship Farms program.
Plotting for Pollinators is endorsed by:
Central Oregon Seed, Inc.
Pratum Co-op
Andony Melathopoulos
Chair, Oregon Bee Project
Assistant Professor, Pollinator Health Extension, OSU
Ramesh Sagili, PhD
Associate Professor-Apiculture
Dept. of Horticulture, OSU