Article written by Jo Ann Baumgartner, Wild Farm Alliance and was printed in Planet Drum June 2016 newsletter. 

We support what is beautiful and what we love—songbirds singing out their names, fat bumblebees busy sampling an array of gorgeous native flowers, and the majestic oaks towering over us—these species can and do live on farms. Are they what make a farm beautiful?

Good news! California's Governor Jerry Brown is staying the course and is again calling for $20 million for the new Healthy Soils Initiative. The State Legislature is taking up the Governor’s proposal. Now is the time to call your state representatives to support sustainable agricultural solutions to climate change. Phone calls are much more impactful than email and it takes only 45 seconds to leave a message.

Birds reduced insect pests in conventional alfalfa by over 33%, according to a new study published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. Habitat is key: the reduction of pests occurs where crops are near habitat. The study found that the fields with bordering trees had a lower number of pest weevils near those field borders, indicating that birds are very important pest control operators. When farms provide habitat near food sources (in this case pest insects), they benefit more than those farms without habitat on the edges.

Last month, the Wild Farm Alliance team headed to Lubbock for the Texas Pollinator PowWow Conference. It was three-days filled with incredible presentations and a field trip to a privately-owned native shortgrass prairie and playa lake with experts on bees, plants, birds, and butterflies. 

Food makes us who we are, from our first taste of a raspberry, to the food served at an important celebration. So many people are questioning where their food comes from, focusing on local and pesticide-free, and while important, they are not enough. 

Happy Earth Day! 

Spring is in full bloom - cherry blossoms and other early blooms are open, migrating birds are making their way north, bees, snakes, and other hibernating creatures are waking from their winter slumber, new life is abounding - so much to witness and appreciate.

Final NOP’s Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation Guidance is Raising the Bar to a Higher Level, but Did Not Go Far Enough

On January 15, 2016 the National Organic Program (NOP) released the final version of their Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation Guidance. It comes after Wild Farm Alliance and partners wrote the initial text and subsequently led comments from the organic community on the NOP’s draft.

Happy New Year! Wild Farm Alliance is excited for 2016, and we are so grateful to begin this new year with you. 

Your support is the backbone of our work. Because of you, we are starting off 2016 stronger than ever. Last year, you helped strengthen the capacity of farmers to adapt to the impacts of climate change through regenerative agriculture. You also helped to educate consumers about the impact on biodiversity that their food choices have. And finally, your support in 2015 helped finalize the new food safety rule that encourages wildlife habitat on the farm.