Rice Fruit generates buzz with pollinator garden
The hum and buzz of pollination is a welcome sound within the apple industry, says Gardners, Pa.-based Rice Fruit Co. As pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies are vital to farmers to ensure successful fruit production, the apple grower has created a habitat designed to nurture the insects, according to a news release.
Last spring, Valerie Ramsburg of Rice Fruit Co. developed the idea while walking through the orchard.
“I noticed that we had just pushed out an older orchard which left a vacant block of land behind our office building,” she said in the release. “That sparked the idea of creating a pollinator habitat.”
After years of decline, honeybees are making a comeback, says Rice Fruit Co. Protection and propagation are of the utmost importance for pollinator insects, and nurturing their habitats and providing long-term food and shelter is an integral part of sustaining the life force behind the food supply, the release said.
“We worked closely with a local nursery to bring the vision to life,” Rambsburg said in the release.
By planting a diverse range of native plants and flowers, Rice Fruit Co. has created a thriving habitat for honeybees and butterflies, bats and other insects that feed on pests like the brown marmorated stink bug.
“The pollinator garden served as the perfect enhancement to our surroundings, rendering a picturesque landscape that also aligns with our sustainability initiatives throughout the company,” Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing for Rice Fruit Co., said in the release.
Ramsburg thinks this project will not only benefit the essential pollinator population, but it is also an investment in education.
“It’s our responsibility to educate on the ecological practices of farming and the indispensable role of nature in bringing produce from the farm to the supermarket shelves,” she said. “You can have perfect weather conditions and robust apple trees at the pinnacle of their production, but if you don't have the bees to pollinate, all you have are trees with pretty flowers.”
For those interested in learning more about the importance of pollinator insects and pollinator-friendly plantings in their area, Rice Fruit Co. recommends visiting the Native Pollinator Plants by USDA Farm Resource Region.
