USDA Climate-Smart Grant for Blue Diamond Growers Honey bees and almonds go together, with almond growers and beekeepers depending on one another to safeguard the health of their respective “crop”— be it healthy hives or healthy nuts! With legislative changes on the horizon and government programs supporting the adoption of climate-smart practices, now is a good time to consider trying something new in your fields to support bee health. Last year, Blue Diamond Growers was awarded $45 million by the USDA to implement cover crops and pollinator habitat to support member-growers to plant more acres of bee-friendly forage. Growers enrolled in the program will receive free seed and direct financial reimbursement for several practices. The next application cycle for the USDA Climate-Smart Grant will open this spring! (https://bluediamondgrowers.com/usda-climate-smart-grant/)
If you have any questions about cover crops or the Climate Smart Grant, please contact me at brett@projectapism.org
4. D eGrandi-Hoffman, Gloria, et al. “The Economics of Honey Bee Management.” Project Apis m ., USDA-ARS, Carl Hayden Bee Research Center, Beta Tec Hops Products Inc., University of Nebraska, Department of Entomology, 2022, www.projectapism.org/economics-of-indoor-storage-of-honey-bees.html. 5. Fenton, Marieke and Goodrich, Brittney and Penn, Jerrod, Measuring Beekeepers’ Economic Value of Contract Enhancements in Almond Pollination. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4580491 or http://dx.doi. org/10.2139/ssrn.4580491
6. “Water Recommendations for Bees Pollinating Almonds.” Project Apis m ., 2019, www.projectapism. org/project-apis-m-blog/ water-recommendations-for-bees- pollinating-almonds. 7. Smith, Aaron David. “One Bee for Every 20 Nuts.” Ag Data News , UC Davis, 4 Mar. 2021, asmith. ucdavis.edu/news/bees-per- almond#:~:text=So%2C%20in%20 total%20California%20produces%20 about%20900%20billion,the%20 United%20States%20are%20 in%20California%20pollinating%20 almonds.
Brett LeDuc, Climate Smart Habitat Manager
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JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2024
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