It’s National Pollinator Week: Thank a Bee, and a Fly, and Even A Beetle

By Kim Eierman | June 23, 2022

In 2006 the United States Senate designated the first National Pollinator Week as a way to recognize the importance of pollinators to agriculture and ecosystem health.  Sure, beekeepers and avid gardeners celebrate this week, but the average American is hard pressed to name even a single pollinator beyond a honey bee.  As we have become increasingly disconnected from our food…

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Going Pesticide-Free for Pollinators at The Farm Between

By Kim Eierman | January 16, 2015

This past August, I took a road trip to one of my favorite states, Vermont, where lots of good things are happening with organic and pesticide-free landscapes and nursery production.  One of my stops was “The Farm Between” in pastoral Jeffersonville, Vermont.  This is one of the oldest farms in the area, dating back to the early 1800s;  it used…

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Native Cultivars vs. Native Plants & Their Attractiveness to Pollinators

By Kim Eierman | April 12, 2014

As you start shopping for plants this spring, please emphasize regional native plants that support your local ecosystem.  That sounds easy, doesn’t it?  Well, it’s actually a bit more complicated.   Sometimes the only native plants you can find are native cultivars, not open-pollinated, “straight species” natives.  These native cultivars are often referred to as “nativars.” For those of you who…

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