Celebrating pollinators - A week of recognition

Jun 18, 2024

USDA highlights importance of pollinators in agriculture

By Farms.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is celebrating National Pollinator Week, June 17-23, 2024. This week highlights the essential role of pollinators, like bees, butterflies, birds, and bats, in our food system.

“Pollinators are critical to a healthy ecosystem,” said Tom Vilsack. They ensure the production of many fruits, vegetables, and nuts that we rely on.

The USDA actively supports pollinator health through various initiatives. These include research, habitat restoration programs, and financial assistance for farmers. Additionally, a newly formed Pollinator Subcommittee will guide future USDA pollinator strategies.

Understanding the threats pollinators face is crucial. The USDA is studying factors like habitat loss, climate change, and diseases to develop better protection strategies.

To raise public awareness, the USDA will host a Pollinator Expo on June 21st. This event offers a chance to learn about these vital creatures and their impact on our food supply.

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.