Celebrate world bee day on May 20!

May 17, 2024

By Farms.com

World Bee Day goes beyond honeybees! Honeybees are just one piece of the puzzle. Over 350,000 pollinator species exist globally, including butterflies, moths, and even flying creatures like birds and bats!

World Bee Day reminds us of the link between pollinators and food security. A staggering 75% of our crops rely on or benefit from animal pollinators, contributing to 35% of our food production. Protecting pollinators helps ensure a stable food supply for Canadians.

Human activities like habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change threaten bees and other pollinators. World Bee Day 2024 focuses on "Bee engaged with Youth," emphasizing the importance of involving young people in pollinator conservation efforts.

This year's campaign aims to educate young Canadians about the essential role of pollinators in agriculture, maintaining ecological balance, and preserving biodiversity. By engaging youth in beekeeping activities, educational programs, and advocacy, we can inspire future environmental leaders who can make a positive difference.

Encouraging diverse agricultural practices and reducing reliance on harmful chemicals can improve pollination. This approach benefits both humans and the environment by increasing food quality and quantity.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.