*These videos were produced in collaboration with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium. On a farm in Ida County, Iowa, a family of sisters is carrying on a century-long tradition of caring for the land, wildlife, and the pollinators that depend on it. The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium recently visited with Roberta Bumann, Rhonda Bumann Stingley, […]
Every year, Pollinator Week brings together growers, conservationists, gardeners, and advocates from across North America to raise awareness for the bees, butterflies, and other pollinators that our food system depends on. This year’s theme, “Life on a Leaf: Celebrating Caterpillars and Host Plants,” is a reminder that healthy habitat and the plants that support it […]
Eric Lindberg has always had a deep appreciation for the natural world. A farmer with a background in biology and wildlife management, Eric has spent years transforming both his Minnesota home and his Wisconsin farm into thriving habitats for monarchs and other pollinators. In this new Farmers for Monarchs video interview, Eric shares how his […]
At Farmers for Monarchs, we know that the best conservation stories come straight from the source—you. Whether you’ve enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), planted monarch and pollinator habitat, or found other creative ways to balance conservation and production, your experience can inspire and inform others across the country. We’re looking for farmers who […]
The latest annual survey of the eastern monarch butterfly population reveals a significant and hopeful increase, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Mexico and Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, who conducted the survey. During the 2024-2025 winter season, monarchs occupied 4.42 acres of forest in central Mexico, nearly doubling from the previous winter’s 2.22 […]
Where are the monarchs now? The monarchs are in the middle of their second generation and in their northern breeding area. They will be laying their eggs over the next couple weeks. Those off-spring will form the super generation that will undertake the trek to Mexico. Follow their migration at Journey North. If you as […]
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. USDA did not announce the Grassland CRP signup yet but indicated it would be open in the coming weeks. The Continuous CRP Signup remains […]
Where are the monarchs now? The monarchs are now overwintering in forests at over 10,000 feet in Central Mexico. They will begin their journey back north at the end of February. Follow their migration at Journey North. The start of a new year brings another opportunity for farmers to enroll land in the Conservation Reserve […]
Where are the monarchs now? The southern migration is well under way, advancing at a pace such that the first monarchs will likely arrive at the overwintering sites in Mexico in time for the Day of the Dead (November 2). The number and sizes of overnight roosts reported to Journey North across the eastern US […]
Signup for the 2022 General Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) opens today, Jan. 31, and will run to March 11, 2022, according to a recent announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Grassland CRP signup will run from April 4 to May 13, 2022. The Continuous CRP Signup remains ongoing. In 2021, USDA announced […]