JSM Organics is a diverse certified organic farm located in Monterey County, California. They were established in April 2012 to bring sustainable food to our tables without the harmful effects of synthetic products and pesticides.
Javier provides examples of how important beneficial birds are to his operation and shares the reasons why he maintains habitat in and around his fields.
Elissa Olimpi, Postdoc at UC Davis, describes how having semi-natural habitat is important for attracting beneficial birds to assist with pest control in strawberries. She also outlines research that shows surrounding habitat actually lowers the probability of birds vectoring pathogens.
Elissa shares steps growers can take to support beneficial birds for pest control:
- Allow birds to nest, and install nest boxes on the farm
- Maintain and plant habitat surrounding the fields
- Grow a diversity of crops