BirdNote; Wild Farm Alliance

BirdNote®

Wild Farm Alliance

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.

[Eastern Meadowlark song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/118651251#_ga=2.47717989.379092051.15… 0.10-.11; repeat]

Farmers have used chemicals to fight insect pests for centuries. The Sumerians, 4500 years ago, dusted crops with sulphur to combat insects. Chemical use took on a startling face in the 1940s with the creation of pesticides from inorganic compounds, like DDT, which had horrifying effects on bird populations.

But today, a group called Wild Farm Alliance is out to prove that farmers don’t have to resort to pesticides.

[Western Meadowlark song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/164573601#_ga=2.52417899.379092051.15…, 0.33-.35]

The organization has created resources that show how birds can help farmers manage insect pests. They cite a study of alfalfa fields, where birds foraging in the alfalfa devoured a third of insect pests. The key was maintaining good habitat at the edges of fields, with a couple of trees or shrubs every five feet. The study found three times as many kinds of birds in agricultural areas that had healthy leafy borders along the fields. Many of those birds were happy to help with the insect problem. No pesticides needed!

Ecologically sound farming can not only reduce pesticide use, but can also help stem the loss of biodiversity by bringing back the birds—as agricultural partners.

For BirdNote, I’m Mary McCann.

[Western Meadowlark song, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/164573601#_ga=2.52417899.379092051.15…, 0.33-.35]

###

Producer: John Kessler

Executive Producer: Sallie Bodie

Editor: Ashley Ahearn

Producer: Mark Bramhill

Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. ML118651251 Eastern Meadowlark recorded by T. Gannon, 0:05 - 0:40. ML164573601, Western Meadowlark, recorded by A Pandolfino, 0:40 - end.

BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.

© 2020 BirdNote August 2020 Narrator: Mary McCann

ID# wildfarmalliance-01-2020-08-12 wildfarmalliance-01

https://www.wildfarmalliance.org/beneficial_birds_provide_pest_control_…

booklet resource for farmers [and perhaps gardeners too]: https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/wildfarmalliance/pages/337/attach…

pesticide link: http://agrochemicals.iupac.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sob…]