Wednesday, September 16, 2015  Purple Sage Farms Middleton, Idaho Check-in at 1:45 pm Tour from 2 – 4:30 pm Refreshments at 4:30 pm Cost is $20 Bring: hat & water bottle

Registration has closed. If you are interested in attending, contact Jennifer Miller to see if there is still space available at 208-850-6504 or [email protected].

Join us for a field day at Purple Sage Farms to learn how to enhance the free pollination and pest management services of pollinators and beneficial insects.

Tim and Mike Sommer of Purple Sage Farms grow certified organic herbs, greens and specialty produce in their greenhouses, low tunnels and in-field production. They also raise grass-fed sheep and cattle, important for nutrient cycling on the farm and from which they make their own compost.

The Sommers are working with NCAP and The Xerces Society to incorporate additional pollinator and beneficial insect habitat on their 50-acre farm. They are currently conducting different methods of organic site prep, prior to planting starts into hedgerows this fall. The farm also supports pollinators and beneficial insects through annual plantings, cover crops and allowing production areas to reach flowering.

The Xerces Society has been working with organic farmers to establish pollinator and beneficial insect habitat, including developing methods of organic site prep (solarization, sheet mulching, mowing, and other methods). Jessa Kay Cruz, senior pollinator conservation specialist with The Xerces Society, will give an overview of pollinators and beneficial insects, their habitat requirements, how to assess existing habitat, and methods for establishing additional habitat.

Tour Features

• How to assess existing beneficial insect & pollinator habitat and identify areas to improve
• Year-round beneficial insect & pollinator habitat requirements
• Examples of incorporating habitat as annual plantings in fields and permanent plantings along field borders
• Organic methods of site prep for establishing beneficial insect habitat
• Introduction to a new crop insurance program, Whole-Farm Revenue Protection, which provides an opportunity for organic and specialty crop producers to secure risk coverage

This Event is Presented by:

This work is supported in part by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture under number 68-0211-13-075. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.