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. To subscribe to the Farmers for Monarchs newsletter, please click here.
Please note that not all posts are authored by Farmers for Monarchs – a Keystone Collaborative, which is facilitated by Keystone Policy Center. For more information, please contact Matt Mulica.
Planting with Purpose: Eric Lindberg’s Journey in Pollinator Habitat
Posted onEric 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 […]
Final Week to Submit Comments on Monarch Butterfly Listing Proposal
Posted onWe are now in the final stretch of the public comment period on the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is accepting public input through May 19, 2025, which means there’s still time to submit your comments—but the window is closing fast. This […]
Farmers Need to Hear From Other Farmers
Posted onAt 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 […]
One Month Left to Make Your Voice Heard on Monarch Butterfly Listing
Posted onIn March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reopened the public comment period for the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. If you have not done so already, now is the time to speak up and ensure your voice is heard. Farmers, ranchers, and landowners not only play a […]
Public Comment Period Reopened for Monarch Butterfly Listing Proposal
Posted onThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced today that it will reopen the public comment period for the proposed rule to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The reopened 60-day comment period will open on March 19, 2025, and will close on May 19, 2025. The […]
Final Days to Submit Comments on Monarch Butterfly Endangered Species Act Listing
Posted onBarring any decision to extend, the deadline to submit public comments on the proposed listing of the monarch butterfly as a threatened species is fast approaching. As of now, March 12 is the last day to provide input on this important decision, which could shape conservation efforts and regulatory considerations for farmers and landowners. To […]
Encouraging Rebound in Eastern Monarch Butterfly Population
Posted onThe 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 […]
How Should Pesticide Use Be Addressed in the Monarch 4(d) Rule? USFWS Wants Your Input
Posted onThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As part of this proposal, USFWS is developing a 4(d) rule, which aims to provide targeted protections for the monarch while offering flexibility to balance conservation with the production needs of stakeholders, […]
Submitting Public Comments on the Proposed Monarch Butterfly Listing: A Guide for Farmers
Posted onThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), accompanied by a 4(d) rule. Farmers continue to play a vital role in supporting monarch butterfly populations as stewards of the land, managing habitats that provide food and shelter for this iconic […]
Submitting Comments, Attending Public Meetings: How Farmers Can Engage on the Proposed Listing of the Monarch
Posted onThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This move aims to protect the iconic pollinator whose population has seen sharp declines over recent decades. For farmers, this proposal represents an opportunity to participate in shaping how agricultural landscapes and […]
Farmers for Monarchs Urges Ag Community to Continue Conservation Efforts, Participate During Comment Period as Monarch Butterfly Proposed as Threatened Species
Posted onFarmers for Monarchs encourages farmers to continue their conservation efforts for the monarch butterfly following the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) proposal to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agriculture community’s ongoing contributions are essential to monarch habitat preservation, and those efforts must continue during this decision process. […]
After the Decision: How Farmers and Landowners Can Influence Monarch Protection
Posted onListen to the audio article of this blog post This is the third installment of a three-part series detailing the listing process under the Endangered Species Act for the monarch butterfly. Welcome to the final installment of Farmers for Monarchs’ series on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing process for the monarch butterfly. In our […]
The 4(d) Rule and Critical Habitat Explained: Flexible Conservation Benefiting the Monarch and the Farmer
Posted onListen to the audio article of this post. This is the second installment of a three-part series detailing the listing process under the Endangered Species Act for the monarch butterfly. Welcome back to Farmer for Monarchs’ series on the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing process for the monarch butterfly. In our first post, we examined […]
Charting the Monarch’s Future: The ESA Listing Decision and its Impact on Farmers Explained
Posted onListen to the audio article of this post. This is the first installment of a three-part series detailing the listing process under the Endangered Species Act for the monarch butterfly. In December 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is expected to publish a 12-month finding on the listing status of the monarch butterfly […]
From Bees to Monarchs: Celebrating Pollinator Week and Vision 2040
Posted onThis post is being shared on both the Honey Bee Health Coalition and Farmers for Monarchs websites to commemorate Pollinator Week 2024 and to highlight our collective efforts towards creating thriving ecosystems, economies, and agricultural practices. As we celebrate Pollinator Week 2024, we reflect on this year’s theme, “Vision 2040: Thriving ecosystems, economies, and agriculture.” […]
New EPA Approaches Enhance Collaboration and Conservation Efforts for Farmers
Posted onNew EPA Approaches Enhance Collaboration and Conservation Efforts for Farmers The approaches follow settlement of litigation challenging the agency’s compliance with the Endangered Species Act The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently unveiled additional steps to ensure the protection of endangered species from pesticide exposure while at the same time supporting the agricultural community. In […]
2023-2024 Eastern Monarch Overwintering Population Plummets
Posted onRecent data from the annual survey conducted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its partners on the overwintering numbers of the eastern monarch butterfly population in central Mexico’s forests paint a concerning picture. The latest figures reveal a significant population decline, with only .9 hectares (equivalent to 2.2 acres) occupied during the 2023-2024 winter […]
International Union for Conservation of Nature Amends 2022 Classification of Monarch Butterfly, Lowers Alarm on its Threatened Status
Posted onThe International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a membership union of government and civil society organizations headquartered in Switzerland, has amended its classification of the monarch butterfly on its “Red List” of threatened species. The organization initially categorized the monarch as “endangered” in 2022 but last month decided to downgrade its threatened […]
Final Monarch Listing Decision Timeline Among Topics Addressed at FFM Plenary Meeting
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? The monarch migration is now moving through Iowa and has entered northern Kansas. By the week of September 25th they should reach central Oklahoma. The first monarchs usually reach the border with Mexico in the first week of October. Follow their migration at Journey North. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s […]
Landowners Enrolled in Voluntary Program for Monarchs Receive Protection
Posted onWhere 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 […]
The Livelihood of both Farmers and Monarchs Threatened by a Changing Climate
Posted onToday is the first day of Pollinator Week, an annual celebration in support of pollinator health that was initiated and is managed by Pollinator Partnership. The theme of this year’s Pollinator Week is emphasizing the connections between climate and pollinators. Few individuals are as closely tied to the weather patterns as farmers. Farmers track temperature, […]
Monarchs and the Endangered Species Act
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? The monarchs are well into their northward journey and are being seen as far north as northern Nebraska, North Dakota and Minnesota. Follow their migration at Journey North. May 19 is Endangered Species Day, commemorated annually to raise awareness and promote the conservation of endangered species around the world. The […]
No Mow May Gaining Momentum in the United States
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? The monarchs are well into their northern migration and can be found throughout the Midwest. Monarchs have been sighted as far north as Indiana. Follow their migration at Journey North. A campaign that started in England urging landowners to avoid mowing their lawn is steadily gaining momentum in the United […]
Eastern Monarch Declines, Occupied Smaller Acreage of Overwintering Grounds in 2022
Posted onEastern monarch populations saw a 22 percent decrease compared to last year, according to the annual survey released this week from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Mexico. Monarch butterflies occupied 2.21 hectares, a drop from the 2.84 hectares they occupied last year. Because it is impossible to count each butterfly, the survey measures the area of […]
General Conservation Reserve Program Signup Opens Feb. 27
Posted onUSDA 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 […]
Western Monarch Population Rebound Continues in 2022 but Winter Storms Could Impact Spring Breeding Population
Posted onThe western monarch population continued its growth in 2022, according to overwintering count totals recently released by the Xerces Society. The 2022 Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallied 335,479 monarchs, an increase from the remarkable rebound from the previous year, which came in at nearly 250,000. The annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count surveyed 272 overwintering sites. According to the Xerces […]
A Farmer’s Perspective on the Conservation Reserve Program
Posted onWhere 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 […]
Dormant Seeding: Letting Mother Nature Take the Lead
Posted onFarmers know managing land is a year-round endeavor, even during the cold winter months. Winter-like conditions leading to natural freeze and thaw cycles in many areas of the country provide a biological process for seed to work its way into the soil. That is why the winter months provide an ideal time for you to […]
Precision Agriculture and Habitat Establishment
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? The first monarchs arrived at their overwintering sites in Mexico on the first of November – just in time for the Day of the Dead the following day. The last of the monarchs in each migration usually reach the colonies by the first week of December. Once the butterflies are […]
Prescribed Fire is a Great Way to Maintain Pollinator Habitat; But Firebreak Preparation Should Begin Now
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? Fall migration is in full swing! Eastern migratory monarchs are beginning to arrive in Mexico. Texas is a migration hotspot, and reports are picking up in the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast. Western monarch activity is also ramping up, and some monarchs have reached overwintering sites in California. Learn […]
Don’t Know Where to Start Your Pollinator Project? Call the Pollinator Habitat Help Desk
Posted onWhere 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 […]
What You Should Know About Seed Mixes for Monarchs
Posted onWhere are the monarchs now? Starting now, around the middle of August, butterflies from the northern part of the North American breeding range begin to migrate south. Seasonal conditions can advance or delay the timing of migration and resources available, so keep an eye out on the Journey North map to see when reports of […]
Farmers for Monarchs Provides Simple Reference Document for Pesticide Best Practices
Posted onFarmers have successfully implemented sensible monarch conservation principles that also support productive agriculture and livestock operations. Pest management is an important part of those viable operations, which is why Farmers for Monarchs has written extensively about responsible pesticide use and shared steps producers can take to mitigate pesticide exposure for pollinators. We have now produced […]
Report: International Union for the Conservation of Nature Designates Monarch Butterfly as Endangered
Posted onThe International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a membership union of government and civil society organizations headquartered in Switzerland, added the monarch butterfly to its “red list” of threatened species and categorized it as “endangered” — two steps from extinct, according to an article published today by the Associated Press. IUCN’s members work […]
The first generation of the northern migration have reached their colonization grounds. Follow their journey at Journey North. National Pollinator Week continues to steadily grow and garner more attention ever since its first designation back in 2008. Today it is an international celebration, promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided by bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, […]
Hope Grows with Eastern Monarch Population Holding Steady
Posted onIn a report released this week from the World Wildlife Fund Mexico (WWF), scientists determined monarchs occupied 2.84 hectares in December 2021, a modest increase from the 2.10 hectares occupied in December 2020. The report notes the 35% increase in monarch butterfly overwintering population numbers between 2020 and 2021 gives some reason for hope given […]
‘No Mow May’ Makes Supporting Pollinators Effortless
Posted onOne of the many requests the world makes to farmers and other land managers is restoring pollinator populations by implementing pollinator-friendly conservation practices on their lands. This month, we share a conservation principle that we hope lightens the burden on farm managers: simply stop mowing, at least during the month of May. Last year, we […]
Minnesota Farmer and Beekeeper Maximizes Acreage for Pollinators
Posted onThe monarchs coming out of overwintering in Mexico have reached their breeding grounds in the southern U.S. and are nearing the end of life. Their offspring, the first generation of 2022 will soon continue the northward migration. Insect populations fluctuate with annual weather patterns and timing. Success for monarchs relies on well-timed and abundant resources, […]
Stewardship Practices for Planting Treated Seeds
Posted onThere are a host of stewardship practices deployed by farmers throughout the year that boost crop health and yield while also protecting monarchs and other pollinators. One of those practices that bears particular attention during planting season is the proper management of treated seeds. The Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship provides guidelines for managing treated […]
Western Monarch Populations Rally, Total Nearly 250,000 in 2021
Posted onThe western monarch population saw an extraordinary rebound in 2021, according to overwintering count totals recently released by the Xerces Society. The 2021 Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count tallied 247,237 monarchs, a significant increase from the previous year’s count, which came in at just under 2,000. The 2021 count is the highest tally since 2016 and […]
General Conservation Reserve Program Signup Opens Today
Posted onSignup 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 […]
Early Sightings Fuel Optimism for Western Monarch Rebound
Posted onThe official 2021 western monarch tally will not be known until early 2022 but early observations indicate a promising rebound for these monarch populations. “Nature has given us a second chance,” Emma Pelton, a biologist with the Xerces Society, told NPR last month. Farmers for Monarchs detailed earlier this year the alarmingly low 2020 western […]
Dormant Seeding: An Effective and Economical Approach to Establishing Pollinator Habitat
Posted onThroughout the temperate world, Mother Nature’s knack for nurturing and sustaining the life cycle of plants is incomparable. Seasonally, wildflowers and other seed-producing plants mature and spread their seed. At that point, in places that experience winter-like conditions and natural freeze and thaw cycles, the seed works its way into the soil. The spring thaw […]
Maintaining Pollinator Habitat is Just as Important as Planting It
Posted onFarmers for Monarchs has detailed several resources for farmers and landowners looking to establish and maintain monarch and pollinator habitat on their lands—we’ve recently highlighted a new step-by-step guide to help producers plant for pollinators. But what about those landowners who have already established pollinator habitat? How should they evaluate and maintain habitat success? Ongoing […]
Migrating Monarchs Stop for Food at Virginia Drive-thru
Posted onThe migratory generation of monarchs that departs for their overwintering grounds each fall relies on late season wildflowers to fuel their flight. While sitting at a fast food drive thru in Prince William County, Virginia, earlier this month, one of our Farmers for Monarchs members spotted dozens of migrating monarchs refueling on the nectar of […]
What Farmers and Landowners can do this Fall for Pollinators
Posted onLast month, Farmers for Monarchs detailed how the monarch migration is an awe-inspiring feat of nature – its complexity demonstrates how vulnerable but yet resilient this amazing insect is. The multi-generational migration cycle relies on a chain of well-timed events, the success of which dramatically decreases when just one link in the chain is disrupted. […]
Research points to a changing climate, extreme weather events as contributing factors in monarch population decline
Posted onIn a recent article, scientists, many from Michigan State, established how monarch populations respond to temperature and moisture. The findings indicated that changes in the climate, particularly increasing temperatures, were likely to reduce monarch numbers (SciTechDaily). Clearly, we can add climate change as well as habitat loss to our concerns about the future of the […]
New Guide Outlines Step-by-Step Direction on Planting for Pollinators
Posted onAg lands across the U.S. have a critical opportunity to positively impact monarch butterflies and other pollinators. But we have to make every acre planted count by optimizing the returns to both farmers and pollinators. Farmers and land managers understand site prep for planting takes attention to detail. Planting pollinator habitat is no more difficult […]
Mitigating Pesticide Exposure to Monarchs and their Habitat
Posted onPest management is a necessary part of agriculture. Farmers have to evaluate their situation and set a pest management strategy that best serves their operations. Usings integrated pest management (IPM), farmers can manage insect pests, weeds, and diseases, and support nearby conservation efforts for the monarch butterfly and bees s IPM can be used to […]
No Mow May: “Do Nothing,” Support Pollinators
Posted onThere’s a relatively new campaign catching on across the world urging home and landowners to skip their early season lawn care—at least during the month of May. The campaign is called No Mow May and it asks landowners to forego mowing their lawn during the entire month of May to let flowers in lawns bloom, […]
Responsible Stewardship Begins at Planting
Posted onSensible and responsible stewardship by growers during planting season should involve plans to protect monarchs, pollinators, and other beneficial insects that live near crop areas. This means safe and appropriate application of herbicides and insecticides to ensure harm to these insects and their habitat is minimized. Seed treatments, such as neonicotinoids, have been used for […]
Take it from a Farmer, Anyone Can Plant Pollinator Habitat
Posted onThe membership of the Monarch Collaborative includes organizations representing farmers, ranchers, and land owners; businesses working along the agricultural supply chain; researchers and academic institutions; federal and state entities; and conservation organizations. Wayne Fredericks is one such member. He is a corn and soybean farmer from Osage, Iowa who has served on the Iowa Soybean […]
“All hands on deck” in Face of Eastern Monarch Declines
Posted onIn a recent report from the World Wildlife Fund Mexico, scientists noted a 26% decrease in monarch butterfly overwintering population numbers in southern overwintering sites. It is estimated that 6 hectares of hibernating monarchs are required to maintain a sustainable eastern monarch population. This report revealed that monarchs occupied only 2.10 hectares, compared to […]
Alarming Western Monarch Population Count Calls for Magnified, Comprehensive Effort to Plant Pollinator Forage
Posted onFewer than 2,000 monarch butterflies were counted in California’s overwintering sites this year, a dire indication for the viability of the western migration. The annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count surveyed 246 sites with only 1,914 total monarchs counted. Western monarch populations saw previous all-time low counts in 2018 and 2019, with only 30,000 monarchs those […]
Conservation Reserve Program Increases Incentive Payments in 2021
Posted on*UPDATE: The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Feb. 5 that enrollment in the is extending the Conservation Reserve Program General Signup period and will continue to accept offers as it takes this opportunity for the incoming Administration to evaluate ways to increase enrollment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in December that it is increasing […]
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 […]