Why Do It?

Pollination is vital to high–quality and high-quantity crop production. One of every three forkfuls of food we eat comes from crops pollinated by insects. The demand for pollination services is rising at the same time that pollinator abundance and diversity are declining. While native bees may not be able to replace the honey bee (the single most important pollinator species), they can contribute significantly to crop pollination of apples, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, cranberries, pears, plums, squash, tomatoes and watermelons. The pollination services native bees provide are contingent on both landscape and farm practices that influence bee habitat. Integrating practices that support native bee populations makes sense economically for the farms of New Jersey. [Read more…]