Pollination is everything when trying to grow crops, and it is why tree nut growers are getting picky about the bees touching their crops.
They are using Blue Orchard Bees, which are like honeybees but do not use a queen or worker bees. Orchard farmers tend to prefer them because man-made nests can be placed throughout the rows.
One grower says that while they are beneficial, they are not for everyone.
“It takes the right grower. It takes, you know, a progressive grower. The challenge for the grower as we see it right now is that it’s hard for them to attribute the bump in yield to the bee, you know, if you’re talking about a 10% bump in yiled, what you have to do is either believe the research or you don’t, is really what it comes down to,” said Jim Watts.
Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct will take effect on Jan. 1, a goodwill effort to promote fairness and transparency between retailers and support farms that sell directly to stores.
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Small, locally focused wineries are finding resilience through direct sales and regional loyalty rather than scale alone.
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Pork producers warn that proposed definitions of “ultra-processed” food in guidelines from the “Make America Healthy Again” plan could negatively impact industry-standard bacon, sausage, and feed practices.
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Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease are fueling a long-standing legal battle between Minnesota regulators and deer farmers. The case could soon reach the state’s Supreme Court with broader implications for agriculture.
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
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USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg told RFD-TV News that we can only guess what Congress will do down the road. Still, the USDA recognizes its responsibility to spend resources efficiently and effectively.
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