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Asheville Bee Forage Kits for Farmers, Land Owners

By ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779

Real Estate Broker/Owner with REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK 209970

December 03, 2014 10:53 PM

As a primarily Land Brokerage... We are happy to share this information with our LAND and FARMS clients...it is about Please consider this Program for Growers to Help Curb the Declining Bee Population

U.S. Bee Buffer Project is Providing
Bee Forage Kits to North Carolina Land Owners

San Francisco, Calif. (December 2, 2014) – The U.S. Bee Buffer Project, a Pollinator Partnership (P2) initiative, is immediately seeking 300 farmers, ranchers and foresters in North Carolina to set aside small plots of land as bee buffer zones. The soon-to-be-established honey bee forage supports pollination-reliant crops, which represents one-third of the food we eat.

“Honey bees play an integral role in the success of American agriculture,” says Laurie Adams, executive director at the Pollinator Partnership. “By fostering the health and growth of bee colonies, farmers are helping to enrich their crops and, ultimately, improve their bottom line.”

WHAT IS A BEE BUFFER?

A strip of land alongside crops full of pollinator plants – creating vital, nutritious bee habitats. The buffer allows bees to forage on the plentiful nutrition in the diverse buffer areas, while also pollinating adjacent crops. Research has shown a little Bee Buffer can go a long way—just one acre of pollinator-friendly plants is enough to impact 33 acres of farmland, together offering bees a broad expanse of diverse forage.

Why Bees? Why Now?

Honey bees are valuable to the nation’s crops and economics, contributing approximately $15 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Still, U.S. bees are having trouble finding food to store for winter months; 2012-2013 winter losses totaled more than 30 percent of honey bee colonies nationwide^[1].

Specific to North Carolina's economy and agribusiness community, the state's high-value crops requiring extensive pollination include^[2]:

Blueberries – annual state crop value 131,200,000 (U.S. dollars)
Apples – annual state crop value 50,226,000 (U.S. dollars)
Cucumbers – annual state crop value 16,422,000 (U.S. dollars)
Peaches – annual state crop value 5,980,000 (U.S. dollars)
Squash – annual state crop value 4,559,000 (U.S. dollars)

Bee buffer zones help to offset losses for the bee industry while improving the health of crops and orchards within four miles.

Save bees. Protect crops. Help yourself.

I started beekeeping on our farm in effort to help bees in our area and do something good for area farmers, as well as future generations,” says Tom Hendrickson of Bennett Bunn Plantation in Zebulon, North Carolina. “We have since expanded our bee yard and now also use our hives as a learning lab in cooperation with the 5 County Beekeepers Association.”

“We are very excited to participate in the U. S. Bee Buffer Project; the benefits far outweigh the small amount of time and resources it takes to maintain our bee buffer,” Hendrickson adds.

Land owners in North Carolina willing to dedicate and maintain .25 to 3 acres – collectively impacting 6,000 acres – for an official bee buffer zone, can apply for the U.S. Bee Buffer Project. Those selected will receive free flower seed kits to plant in their buffers.

To learn more, reference the U.S. Bee Buffer Frequently Asked Questions. To review eligibility requirements and complete participant application, visit http://beebuffer.com/.

The U.S. Bee Buffer Project is sponsored in part by The Burt’s Bees® Greater Good Foundation.

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