Charlottesville Horse Farms Need To Support Pollinator Week

Charlottesville Horse Farms Need To Support Pollinator Week

We all know that bees are pollinators.  From the time I have been a child I have watched honey bees fly from flower to flower. They are amazing flying machines, looking like little blimps.  And as a child we learn early to try to avoid stepping on a bee as we run barefoot through the grass.  We know what an important role they play fertilizing a variety of plants.  On our horse farms many of our fields have clover among our field grasses.  However there is a wide variety of pollinators including butterflies, moths, bats, beetles, and manny kinds of insects.  It takes all of the pollinators to support our gardens and agriculture.  In Virginia these pollinators help create 20 billion dollars in agricultural products.

Governor McDonald has designated June 18-24 as Pollinator Week in the state of Virginia.

You may be thinking that its nice to have a pollinator week, but you may not be aware of anything that you can do to protect pollinators.  Well there are a couple of basic things that you can do.  The first is to avoid the use of insecticides as much as possible.  Secondly you can plant native plants that are prefered by the pollinators.  And third you can create pollinator nest sites or protect existing sites.

Even though horses of course are the focus of our Charolttesville Horse Farms, it is crucial that our farms are in harmony with the natural environment.  Good pasture is necessary to a successful farm.  We need the pollinators so lets support Pollinator Week.

Copyright 2012 by Pam Dent all rights reserved “Charlottesville Horse Farms Need To Support Pollinator Week“.