NCDA&CS helping create habitat for pollinators (Cause we really like to eat!)
Up to one-third of the food we eat can be directly attributed to the work of pollinators. But pollinators have been declining because their habitat areas have been disappearing.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler started championing pollinator habitat areas in 2015 after a trade mission overseas.
Our 18 Research Stations across the state started planting small plots of wildflowers to give birds, bees and other pollinators places to reside.
"I came to the realization that we in North Carolina needed to do what we could to do to ensure that we had adequate pollinators for our crops." - Steve Troxler, commissioner of agriculture
Buckwheat at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville also serves as a pollinator habitat area.
This mix of flowering plants attracts a wide variety of pollinators and will provide habitat for a long period of time.
The Central Crops Research Station in Clayton planted a wildflowers near the peach orchard to attract more pollinators:
At the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton, they have planted five small sunflower plots, two wildflower mix plots, and a red clover plot. And are adding two more wildflower mixed plots. As the name suggestions, there is a lot of horticultural crops on site that can benefit from increased pollinator populations.
The station is also experimenting with field bee pollination cages, which is similar to pollinating in a greenhouse. Researchers are studying the effectiveness of controlled pollination on cucurbits.
The bees and butterflies have found the pollinator plots at the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs:
The Peanut Belt Research Station in Lewiston-Woodville is attracting many types of bees.
The Caswell Research Farm in Kinston is cultivating some beautiful wildflowers for pollinators that will bloom for many months:
Other divisions within our department are also getting involved and planting urban pollinator plots at our facilities.
Why do we care so much?
Because pollination is crucial to the success of our $84 billion agribusiness industry in North Carolina!
You can make a difference!
You can also create a pollinator plot to help provide habitat for birds, bees, beetles and other insects that contribute to pollination. It's pretty easy. Take a listen and scale your project up or down to fit your flower bed or field.
Learn more.