The conversation about how private working lands can help monarchs and pollinators is ongoing and lively. Check here often, as Farmers for Monarchs aims to be a perennial resource for farmers and landowners interested in planting and enhancing monarch habitat.
Please note that not all posts are authored by The Monarch Collaborative (creators of Farmers for Monarchs), which is facilitated by Keystone Policy Center. For more information, please contact Franklin Holley.
USFWS: ESA Listing of Monarch Butterfly Warranted but Precluded
Posted onThe Keystone Monarch Collaborative noted today’s decision from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that adding the monarch butterfly to the list of threatened and endangered species is warranted but precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions. This means USFWS has added the monarch butterfly to the candidate list and assigned it a listing […]
Monarch Collaborative Member Activities
Posted onThe strength of the Monarch Collaborative comes not only with the initiatives we undertake together, but the collective of all of our members’ own monarch and pollinator initiatives. We’d like to take a moment to share some of the great monarch and pollinator work occurring from our members. American Soybean Association (ASA) ASA continues to […]
Upcoming Webinar: How Monarch Habitat Maximizes Benefit to Landowner
Posted onAssessing the on-farm benefits of planting pollinator forage can be difficult to pin down. But an overall increase in profitability can be achieved by moving marginal acres to pollinator habitat. Land taken out of production reduces overall yield, but this is offset by reduced input costs and soil and water quality benefits, among others. Federal […]
Understanding Farm Benefits of Planting Pollinator Forage
Posted onFarmers can always appreciate when they find easy, low-cost solutions that garner multiple benefits. Farmers are faced with many challenges – in addition to the farm operations challenges they face, society also looks to farmers to be leaders in addressing many environmental resource concerns. As important stewards of the land, farmers can implement pollinator plantings […]
Creating Pollinator Habitat on Non-cropland
Posted onWhether you’re a farmer with an expansive operation, a homeowner looking to beautify a corner of your backyard, or someone looking to develop unused land near roadsides, creating pollinator habitat on non-cropland is a simple way to improve both pollinator and environmental health. Private and even commercial landowners across the country are taking the initiative […]
More than Milkweed: How Farmers Can Promote Native Wildflowers for All Pollinators
Posted onPlanting pollinator forage on non-farmed areas enhances the landscape, looks great and can even increase yield. Farmers and landowners have considerable capacity to increase pollinator habitat, not just milkweed for monarchs but other native wildflowers for all pollinators. That is why the Monarch Collaborative encourages farmers to engage in broad conservation practices that protect nectar […]
Responsible Pesticide Use Protects Crops, Pollinators and Applicators
Posted onFarmers utilize stewardship practices for proper pesticide use while protecting crops from insect pests and mites and also protecting pollinators. The BeSure! campaign from Growing Matters, an initiative created to support growers and applicators in protecting bees and other wildlife, provides numerous resources for good stewardship, including the Insect Pollinators and Pesticide Product Stewardship guide. […]
On Target: Simple Herbicide Practices Help Conserve Monarch Habitat
Posted onWhen it comes to eliminating unwanted plants on farms and in our backyard, there is no single approach. Herbicides are one tool that is very effective when used in the right place, at the right time, and in the right amount. The Keystone Monarch Collaborative outlines some practices for using herbicides to safely and effectively […]
Steer Clear of Milkweed, Monarch Friendly Mowing
Posted onAmong the most simple and effective measures farmers and landowners can take to conserve monarch butterfly populations is to follow best practices for mowing. When establishing habitat, or conducting management activities to keep the site healthy, mowing can be an important tool. Once habitat is well-established, mowing or prescribe burning every 3-5 years promotes healthy […]
Improvements in Fluency Agents, Deflectors Help Reduce Dust from Seed Treatments
Posted onSeed treatments, such as neonicotinoids, have been used by farmers for many years to help control early season insect pests and ensure a better crop. While seed treatments provide many benefits, their use poses a potential risk to nearby pollinators and other beneficial insects because of seed dust drifting from the site of planting. The […]