Pollinators

The number of monarch butterflies spending the winter in the western United States has dropped to its second-lowest mark in nearly three decades as pesticides, diminishing habitat and climate change take their toll on the beloved pollinator.

Indiana Grown, a program that promotes locally grown and made products, is celebrating accomplishments from several Hoosier schools in 2024.

Conservation practice adoption, pesticide regulations and biofuel tax credits are just a few of the issues for agriculture entering 2025.

A constructed wetland designed to receive tile drainage water from 73 acres of corn and soybeans is doing its job of removing nitrates.

Volunteers built a high tunnel with Purdue Extension in Lake County — the first phase of a new demonstration garden for the community in northern Indiana.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates more than 10 million acres will be converted to solar energy by 2050, and the American Farmland Trust projects over 80% could be sited on agricultural lands.

Picture this: a world without fresh strawberries, watermelon or apples. Pretty gloomy, right? Thankfully, we have bees and other pollinators who are responsible for the fertilization of many fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill to severely restrict a type of pesticide that’s toxic to bees and other pollinators, saying the legislation “is more anti-farmer than it is pro-pollinator.”

Beekeepers lose between 30% and 40% of their colonies annually, mostly to parasites and pathogens. Losses during one bad year in Indiana reached 60%.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Indiana is investing up to $1.25 million in a Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership project.

Lincoln Land Community College dedicated its newest learning space, 2.1 acres of land at 2320 West Lake Shore Drive, now known as West Lake Nature Grove.

In my 10th year leading National 4-H Council, the nonprofit partner to Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Program, I’m reflecting on the significant role 4-H plays in preparing a diverse workforce in agriculture.

Farmers and ranchers know the value of pollinators to our ecosystems — they are vital to our environment and growing crops for food and forage.

FFA members who have developed exceptional projects will be introduced during the 95th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention, set for June 13-15.

Fifty years after the creation of National Agriculture Day, America’s farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners find themselves on the front lines of climate change.

Beck’s Hybrids will integrate DriftWatch into its FARMserver this year, in partnership with FieldWatch. With the DriftWatch integration, farmers can see local, high value specialty crops and pollinator habitats.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Agriculture shared accomplishments made in 2022 to support the state’s No. 1 industry.

Supporting Illinois farmers’ local nutrient loss reduction goals and pollinator habitat preservation, Illinois Farm Bureau is awarding $175,000 in grants to county Farm Bureaus for local projects.

Bringing a couple old newspaper articles with him to the podium to prove his point, Gov. Eric Holcomb told the Indiana Farm Bureau State Convention that Indiana’s story is the chronicle of agriculture in the state.

Not everyone in agriculture shares the same definitions of sustainable or regenerative agriculture. But most will agree these efforts include environmental, economic and social practices to ensure we have — and will continue to have — the water, materials and resources needed.

Lifelong Montgomery County farmer, Sugar Creek steward and conservation cropping innovator Kenny Cain received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hoosier Environmental Council at the 2022 Greening the Statehouse event in Westfield.

It’s a given that wetlands provide “nature’s kidney” for reducing nutrient losses into waterways and provides wildlife habitat, but a unique project in northern Livingston County took those benefits to another level.

This Thanksgiving, your pumpkin pie might have a lower carbon footprint.On the central Illinois farms that supply most of the world’s canned pumpkin, farmers are adopting regenerative techniques designed to reduce emissions, attract natural pollinators and improve soil health.

Sometimes even Mother Nature needs a hand. And while a park district is often thought of for its playing fields and playgrounds, the St. Charles Park District has a small team devoted to the care and conservation of 500-plus acres of natural area.

For the first time in four years, the Farm Progress Show will once again be held in Iowa this year, and specialists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach are excited about the return.

Farmers, gardeners and anyone with interest in helping monarchs thrive can get involved with resources provided by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

When Fulton High School students return to school, they’ll be greeted by a garden in bloom and full of fresh, organic and colorful fruits and vegetables.

Area schoolchildren got their hands dirty learning about insects, composting and the role that worms play in sustainable food production during the kickoff of a day camp run by the DeKalb County Community Gardens.

The migratory monarch butterfly is now listed as endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. “Few species evoke the awe and wonder that the migratory monarch butterfly commands,” said Sean O’Brien, president and CEO of Nature Serve.

BASF Agricultural Solutions North America announced it will donate $50,000 to The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund’s Seed A Legacy pollinator habitat program. The donation is part of BASF’s annual Living Acres #MonarchChallenge initiative.

Deb Zenner’s business might involve producing maple syrup and honey. But for her, the sweetest parts of the job are her interactions with customers at local farmers markets where she sells her wares.

The Wetlands Institute and Ducks Unlimited have combined resources to help Illinois farmers install Smart Wetlands.

For a few frenzied weeks, beekeepers from around the United States truck billions of honeybees to California to rent them to almond growers who need the insects to pollinate the state’s most valuable crop.

Several bills are in the Illinois General Assembly hoppers that would impact agricultural production if approved. Kevin Johnson, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association president, hosted a recent webinar to give a legislative update on the legislative proposals.

Illinois Farm Bureau will keep its steady stream of investment flowing to county Farm Bureaus across the state to support local nutrient loss reduction projects and protect water quality with additional support going to pollinator conservation.

For the seventh consecutive year, Illinois Farm Bureau has awarded grants to help promote local nutrient stewardship, soil health and water quality projects. Twenty-five Illinois county Farm Bureaus have been awarded grants under the Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program.

Managing a grass-based grazing farm starts at the ground. “We have to have good grass to support our livestock so everything we do is from the ground up,” said Thelma Heidel-Baker, soil conservationist for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Using pesticides as-needed boosted pollination from wild bees and increased watermelon yields, according to a proof-of-concept study from Purdue University.

The National Corn Growers Association announced a partnership — funded by NCGA’s Production Technology Access Action Team — with Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

Three years after DTE Energy paid over $5,000 to relocate rare milkweed plants at its future Blue Water Energy Center site in East China Township, the plants are thriving.

Chris Puetz spends about three hours every Saturday tending to his hives. “It’s a time commitment, but it’s time I block out, and it’s fun,” Puetz said.

A new study indicates that insects like honey bees in many cases can do a better job of pollinating soybeans than the plants can do on their own.

Most people have a cause they are passionate for and do what it takes to promote it, while raising awareness about the cause at the same time.

The team at the Southwest Purdue Agriculture Center is tackling invasive species while increasing pollinator habitats.

Customers value honey and beeswax products from Raines Honey Farm’s bees, but those pollinators are also essential for several fruit, vegetable and nut crops.

There are many ways to make your garden an inviting home to pollinators. Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, known as the Hoosier Gardener, discussed pollinators at a webinar hosted by Bethany Community Gardens.

Being respectful of others — including bees — is important. Roughly 750 people and about 7,800 hives are registered on BeeCheck, said Fred Whitford, Purdue University clinical engagement professor.

June marks National Pollinator Month, which was established to bring awareness of the relationship between plants and pollinators.

Pollinators are responsible for an estimated one in every three bites of food that humans consume, so it’s no wonder they’re getting a lot of buzz these days. For those who want to support these hard-working environmental contributors, but don’t have a large yard or space for a garden, containers may be the answer.