permaculture

["Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        [SANET-MG] Farming for Bees, Beetles and (True) Bugs: A
Farmscaping for Beneficials Farm Walk
Date:   Mon, 9 Jul 2007 09:18:56 -0700
From:   Matthew Shepherd (Xerces Society) <mdshepherd@XERCES.ORG>
Reply-To:       mdshepherd@xerces.org
To:     SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU



**Here's information about a farm walk to be held two weeks from now
near Portland, OR.



*Event Release*



*Farming for Bees, Beetles and (True) Bugs: **A Farmscaping for
Beneficials Farm Walk.*

* *

*EVENT DATE:* Monday, July 23rd, 2007^

*PLACE:* Sauvie Island Organics, Portland, OR

*TIME:* 2:00-5:00 P.M.

*CONTACT: *Gwendolyn Ellen, 541-737-6272,
*gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu
<mailto:gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu> *or Matthew Shepherd*,
*503-232-6639, mdshepherd@xerces.org <mailto:mshepherd@xerces.org> **



Ever wonder why not all your baby squash develop into robust adult
squash?  Or why the flower bed next to the house is full of beneficial
insects (at least you /think/ they are /beneficial/ insects) while the
cabbage you just transplanted out in the field is turning to lace? The
Integrated Plant Protection Center (IPPC) at Oregon State University
(OSU), the Xerces Society, and the farmers at Sauvie Island Organics
invite local farmers to take a break with an afternoon of intrigue and
discovery with native bees, predacious ground beetles, and true bugs on
the farm, *Monday, July 23^rd from 2-5 pm at Sauvie Island Organics.*.



Sauvie Island Organics is nestled between farms and a wildlife refuge on
an island flanked by the Columbia River and the Multnomah Canal just
fifteen minutes from Portland.  Owner Shari Raider and her partners have
been growing vegetables and fruits on small intensively grown plots for
fourteen years.  They manage a 200 member community supported farm, and
market to several restaurants in the Portland area.  Sauvie Island is a
unique eco-region that hosts more than 2-3 million migratory water fowl
and many other species of wildlife, including beneficial insects,
pollinators and a healthy population of frogs! To find out more about
Sauvie Island Organics Farm visit their website at
www.sauvieislandorganics.com <http://www.sauvieislandorganics.com/>. To
find out more about Sauvie Island and its unique features visit
www.riversedge-bb.com/sauvie.shtml
<http://www.riversedge-bb.com/sauvie.shtml>.



At the walk we will be taking a detailed look into the biology, ecology,
and habitat associated with bees, bugs and beetles as well as the
ecological pest management practices you can do to help assure their
abundance on the farm.  Don’t miss this unique opportunity to* *follow
veteran vegetable farmers and bugscapers as we attempt to understand and
observe how the complex web of biodiversity and crop production interact
right before our eyes!



Come witness first hand, the deadly world of insect predators as they
relentlessly pursue their prey against countless obstacles while we
probe such riveting questions as, “Does this pollinate squash?,  “What
is a generalist predator?”, and “Hey, why isn’t this guy (the beneficial
insect!) around when I need him most?”.



This is a BYOB (bring your own bug) event so if something has been
/bugging/ you this summer and you don’t know what it is pop it in a jar
and bring it along.   Participants are also invited to bring a
vegetarian food dish, your own plates and cutlery, and share a pot luck
meal at the end of the walk.



*Contact Gwendolyn Ellen at 541-737-6272,
gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu
<mailto:gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu>  for info and directions.*



The farm walks are sponsored by OSU’s, Farmscaping for Beneficials
Project at IPPC and The Xerces Society who are working together on a
project to support grower-led activities that build the knowledge and
implementation of conservation biological control (CBC) on local farms.
Conservation biological control can be defined as methods used on and
around farms to restore and enhance beneficial organism populations that
can increase to numbers that may limit pest populations. Such methods
may include insectary plantings, grassy field margins, beetle banks and
hedgerows.


______________________________________________________
*The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation*
The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that
protects the diversity of life through invertebrate conservation. To
join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work,
please visit www.xerces.org <http://www.xerces.org/>.

Matthew Shepherd
Director, Pollinator Conservation Program
4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Cell: 503-807 1577 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: mdshepherd@xerces.org <mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org>
______________________________________________________