Statistic of the day: every third bite of food is the direct or indirect result of the work of pollinators like bees.

That’s why so many people are worked up over the loss of these pollen-packers, whether it be through colony collapse disorder, destruction of their habitat or outright chemical poisoning. While visiting Ames Farm, the honey operation of local beekeeper Brian Fredericksen, I got a peek at how pollination takes place, and why practices like “feedlot beekeeping” can trip-up this delicate dance between insect and plant. To listen to my recent conversation with Fredericksen, check out LSP’s Ear to the Ground podcast (episode 54).

It’s always fun to talk to someone who’s passionate about a subject they are involved with on a daily basis. But when the conversation is about something as fascinating as bees and their role in the food chain, it’s better than watching the Discovery Channel.

If Fredericksen’s words inspire you to take action, then check out the website of the Xerxes Society, which is full of practical information on how to help out pollinators in your own back 40…or back yard.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 at 10:16 pm by admin and is filed under Food and Sustainable Agriculture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.