Seeds for Bees Program | Bee Tradition

wpadmin June 21, 2022 2 min read

Almond Replace: Seeds for Bees Program Offering Further Assist This Yr

The Seeds for Bees enrollment interval has formally opened and growers now have a possibility to use. Enrollment is open now by way of August 31, nonetheless seed availability is restricted so growers are inspired to use early. The Almond Board of California (ABC) has been instrumental in funding this system, which has been improved this 12 months to offer much more assist to growers.

“Should you’re awarded that first-year program, you’re going to rise up to $2,500 price of free seed off of your general seed buy,” stated Rory Crowley, Director of Habitat Applications at Challenge Apis m. and supervisor of the Seeds for Bees Program. “These second-year awardees will rise up to $2,000 price of free seed of their general buy. So, we’re enthusiastic about that.”

The Seeds for Bees program offers cowl crop mixes to farmers to assist develop further habitat for bees and different pollinators. Almond growers have been particularly attentive to this system, accounting for 72 p.c of all awardees final 12 months with 143 new almond growers taking part. California growers planted greater than 12,580 acres of canopy crops final 12 months and Crowley stated they intend to develop that quantity additional. “We’re making an attempt to get 15,000 cowl crop acres planted this 12 months and we predict we’re going to have the ability to do this,” Crowley famous.

There are a complete of 5 cowl crop mixes out there by way of this system. Together with offering important habitat to assist pollinators, cowl crops may assist higher soil well being and water infiltration. ABC has sources out there resembling Greatest Administration Practices for canopy crops, to assist growers maximize the advantages that may be achieved. Crowley stated that the applying course of for the Seeds for Bees program has been streamlined to make it simpler to enroll. Program info together with enrollment purposes are out there on-line.