Sarah Kincaid is an entomologist and pollinator specialist in the Insect, Pest, Prevention, and Management Program (IPPM) with the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA). Sarah is a founder and ODA IPPM project lead for the Oregon Bee Project. The Oregon Bee Project brings together state agencies, farmers, and conservationists to protect and promote Oregon bee species vital the state’s agricultural and native landscapes. The Project aims to provide resources and networking opportunities in areas affecting bee health and to highlight pollinator projects underway with in the state and also has funded research examining the role non-Apis pollinators play in the pollination of several specialty crops. Sarah is also the author of an identification guide to Common Bee Pollinators of Oregon crops based on data from native bee surveys in 24 specialty crop systems. The guide is designed to provide the growers, the general public and natural resources professionals with basic information about agriculturally relevant bee genera. The guide serves an area of the country were few native bee identification resources are available. In this episode, Sarah talks about an initiative in the Oregon Bee Project called the Flagship Farm Program.
Listen in to learn how Sarah and the Flagship Farms program work with farmers to create sustainable ecosystems for pollinators, and how you can participate.
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“We’re a specialty crop state and many of those depend on pollination, and if they depend on pollination, that means they provide a resource for the bees themselves.” – Sarah Kincaid
Show Notes:
- What makes Flagship Farms unique among pollinator programs
- Why Oregon has a higher diversity of bees in agriculture than many other states
- Why the Flagship Farms program was created and what Sarah is hoping to accomplish with it
- What kinds of farms and farmers Sarah is hoping will join the program
- What Sarah has seen so far in the participating farms
- The unique properties that different crop farms offer for pollinators
- How the Flagship Farms program has built a community of conservancy minded farms
- What resources Sarah and her program offer the Flagship Farms
“Given that there’s a narrative that paints agriculture in a really negative light when it comes to insect biodiversity, we came up with the idea that there is a positive story that we can tell here.” – Sarah Kincaid
Hello, I have always wanted to do bee farming especially to make mead and other products but my daughter is allergic to bee stings. Do you have any advice on if / how it can be done safely in my situation?