A news release earlier this week from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) indicated that, “A new certification program enables agricultural producers to let consumers know they are farming in ways that benefit bees. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation partnered with Oregon Tilth to develop and launch the Bee Better Certified program.
“‘Bee Better Certified is working with conservation-minded farmers to meet a growing interest from consumers to know how their food choices impact bees,’ said Xerces Executive Director Scott Hoffman Black. ‘Many species of bees have suffered declines over the years, but by creating habitat and reducing pesticide use, Bee Better is generating meaningful change on working farms, helping to preserve crop pollinators and the valuable services they provide to farmers.'”
The USDA item noted that, “After piloting the program with 13 farmers over the past few months, Xerces and Oregon Tilth are now opening it to farmers nationwide. The program focuses on integrating flower-rich habitat on farms in order to provide food and nesting sites for native bees, honey bees and other pollinators. It also helps farmers reduce or eliminate use of pesticides known to cause harm to bees.
“Oregon Tilth assesses and certifies farms based on the amount and quality of habitat created as well as the incorporation of pest management strategies aimed at protecting crop pollinators.”
This week’s update added that, “The project received a $350,000 Conservation Innovation Grant in 2016 from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) which Xerces matched to develop and test the first-of-its-kind program. The Conservation Innovation Grant program aims to drive public-private innovation to support next-generation conservation efforts.”
