Farming for Native Bees: Technology Transfer

Farmer-initiated project that aligns with NRCS' overarching goal of stimulating long-term adoption of innovative conservation approaches. Three years ago, the project began establishing and evaluating high quality pollinator habitat on 4 small treatment farms and comparing them with 4 control farms in Brentwood, California. It has produced exceptional results: bee populations have more than tripled, important native crop pollinators like the Blue Orchard Bee have been identified visiting crop flowers, and, most importantly, partnering farmers have become deeply engaged in the project, dedicating more of their resources and offering ever-expanding areas to native bee habitat.