Organic farming offers many benefits to pollinators, but some common organic-approved pesticides and practices can be potentially just as harmful to bees and other pollinators as conventional farming systems. For example, in the absence of readily available herbicides, some organic farms depend more heavily on tillage as a primary weed control strategy. This greater soil disturbance may be detrimental to ground-nesting bees. By understanding native bee biology, nesting habits, and the toxicity of various organic-approved pesticides, farmers can effectively balance their crop management strategies with the needs of their resident pollinators.
Organic Farming Practices: Reducing Harm to Pollinators
Guidelines on how various organic farming practices can be balanced with the ecological needs of pollinators. To download PDF, click here.
Organic-Approved Pesticides: Minimizing Risk to Pollinators
An overview of all commonly available organic-approved pesticides, and suggestions for mitigating their impact on native bees. To download PDF, click here.
Pollinator Management For Organic Seed Producers
These guidelines provide clear strategies for conserving pollinators, managing crop isolation distances, and reducing unintended outcrossing between organic and non-organic seed crops. Click here to read more.
Farming for Bees
This publication provides detailed guidance on identifying and creating pollinator habitat within a working agricultural landscape. To download PDF, click here.
Pollinator & Beneficial Insect Conservation Plans
The Xerces Society’s Pollinator & Beneficial Insect Conservation Plans identify baseline habitat conditions for pollinators and other beneficial insects on your farm, and offer recommendations that can increase their abundance. To download PDF, click here.
Biodiversity Conservation: An Organic Farmer’s Guide
This publication was developed by Wild Farm Alliance. Wild Farm Alliance believes it is critical for all players within organic agriculture do their part in ensuring that biodiversity conservation is fully developed and put into practice. To download PDF, click here.
NRCS Organic Initiative
The Environmental Quality Incentives Program provides financial opportunities for organic producers to address natural resource concerns related to organic production, as well as requirements related to adherence to the National Organic Program (NOP) requirements and certain program payment limitations. To visit their site, click here.
A special thanks to …
Support for the Organic Farming for Bees tool kit was generously provided by the Columbia Foundation, the Organic Farming Research Foundation, Organic Valley Family of Farms, the Turner Foundation, and Wild Farm Alliance.