Farmers and avid gardeners have been given the opportunity to improve and protect Australian's pollinators through a new farming certification program involving some of the county's hardest workers – bees!
Designed to provide guidelines for farmers and gardeners to promote pollinator health on their lands, Bee Friendly Farming 'sets standards for sustainable land management on important concepts like planting pollinator food resources, providing nesting habitat, and incorporating integrated pest management (IPM) to ensure the prosperity of our biggest pollinators, bees.
Honeybees have a significant influence on horticulture and agriculture, one must not be underestimated.
Did you know that around 65 per cent of agricultural production in Australia depends on pollination by European honeybees?
That is why it is becoming increasingly important to establish and nurture pollination habitats.
Bee Friendly Farming in action
Mark Wootton's farming operation, north of Hamilton, Victoria, is one of many to implement Bee Friendly Farming. Jigsaw Farms is a 3,441ha mixed grazing operation running fine wool lambs, beef and integrated agroforestry and biodiverse permanent revegetation used as a carbon offset program.
From a production point of view, Mr Wootoon said it made perfect sense to make vegetation choices that best support pollination and attract bees.
From a production point of view I'm hoping that by having more pollinating creatures here we'll have better plants – not just in agro-forestry, not just in the permanent re-vegetation, but in the pasture.
