USDA LAUNCHES $4MILL INITIATIVE TO HELP FARMERS HELP HONEYBEES
Over a third of our food is directly dependent on pollination by honeybees. Since 2006 30% of hives have been lost every winter from a combination of exposure to pesticides, disease, and lack of a wide array of plants that bees and other pollinators need to survive. The USDA is going to give farmers and ranchers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Michigan over $4 mill in technical and financial help to improve habitat. Providing cover crops, forage, and other plants that are pollinator friendly, removing invasive species, and improving soil health so crops are naturally resistant to pests are among the measures. In our yards we can similarly remove invasive species, plant pollinator friendly plants, and improve our soil health with aeration and compost. We can also avoid synthetic pesticides and weedkillers that harm our bees and other pollinators.
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