Gainesville, FL.– Florida’s pollinators are in trouble. City sprawl is overtaking their habitat, threatening wildflowers and ecosystems, along with the state’s agricultural industry. And now farmers and ranchers can get technical and financial assistance to help.
The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is funding $300,000 in Florida through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program to promote conservation practices that help reverse the loss of pollinator food and habitat. The signup deadline is July 18.
Some of the conservation practices that address loss of foraging habitat for pollinators include conservation cover, field borders and hedgerow planting. To learn more, contact your local field office in Florida.
“This initiative will improve the state pollinators while reducing food costs by improving fruit and seed set in important agricultural commodities,” said Russell Morgan, Florida’s state conservationist.