Growers Transplanting, Inc.’s Post

As the critical almond pollination season draws near, beekeepers are in full gear, prepping their hives. This season, our innovative technology is on their side. It's a game-changer, providing real-time insights into hive health and greatly simplifying logistics for moving hives to the orchards. Thanks to BeeHero, beekeepers can now get instant updates on bee activity, temperature, and humidity, so they can address issues promptly and keep their hives in top condition with fewer manual inspections. Plus, the once daunting task of coordinating hive transportation is now streamlined. Almond growers input drop locations and a deployment window directly into BeeHero's system, so beekeepers can schedule their trips easily. With BeeHero's support, beekeepers are heading into the almond bloom with confidence. Their hives are healthier, and logistics are smooth, setting the stage for a fruitful pollination season. #pollinators  #precisionagriculture  #smartfarming  #BeeHero #savethebees  #thoughtleadership  #agtech #climatetech #sustainableagriculture #globalfoodsecurity  

𝐫𝐮𝐮𝐦𝐢.𝐢𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬-𝐟𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞-𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐮𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬 🐮🌿 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴-𝘧𝘦𝘥 & 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦-𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦? Grass-fed, free-range beef and dairy products offer a wealth of benefits stemming from their connection to natural habitats and lush fields, promoting animal welfare while delivering superior nutrition and flavor. Grazing in open pastures allows cattle to access diverse vegetation, resulting in meat and dairy rich in essential nutrients and boasting enhanced taste profiles. Beyond nutritional advantages, these farming practices support environmental sustainability by fostering biodiversity and reducing reliance on hormones and antibiotics. They also prioritize animal welfare, enabling cattle to express natural behaviors and live healthier lives. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴? Animals are free to roam the fields for a minimum of X days annually (technical term: “x total annual grazing days) with the exact duration varying based on weather conditions and individual farm practices such as milking schedules. However, this practice isn't universal within the industry. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴? For farmers, there are multiple benefits: it reduces costs associated with feed and bedding, and as consumer demand for this option grows, farmers can command a premium price for their products, incentivizing this approach. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘶𝘶𝘮𝘪.𝘪𝘰 𝘥𝘰? With ruumi.io farmers can effortlessly track the time that animals are grazing on each fields, making it simple to calculate total annual grazing days in a given period of time. These records are further authenticated through ruumi.io's remote sensing technology, bolstering the credibility of generated reports. But our efforts don't end there! ruumi.io offers additional checks, such as evaluating animal feed demand against grass supply and incorporating ground truth evidence like images and geo-coordinates. These features will all be conveniently accessible through our Corporate Portal for streamlined reporting and dissemination to supply chain partners and consumers. (see screenshot from our demo farm) Are you tackling a similar use case and in need of support? Reach out to us for assistance! #MRV #TotalGrazingDays #FreeRange #GrassFed #RegenerativeAgriculture

🌟 Elevate your beekeeping game! 🌟 Discover advanced techniques in apiculture to boost productivity and maintain healthy hives. Whether you're an experienced beekeeper or just looking to learn more, our latest article has valuable insights for you. Read more: (https://lnkd.in/e4beGW8i) #Beekeeping #Apiculture #BeeHealth #Beekeepers #SustainableFarming #HiveManagement

- AGROBIODIVERSITY for AGROECOSYSTEM - 🧬🌾🔬👨🎓👍🧩🧑🌾💚📈#barley #wildbarley RT: SeedWorld - Wild Relatives are Plant Breeders Insurance Policy for Food Security https://lnkd.in/dYwThS9A #plantbreeding #CWR #germplasm #biodiversity #foodsecurity #climatechange #genebank #genomics #genebank #germplasm #plantgeneticresources "Wild relatives help preserve diversity for future plant breeding needs. Crop wild relatives have evolved over millions of years, adapting to the environments in which they live in, making each population unique. When it comes to plant breeding, they’re an important source of genes to manage future stressors that face crop plants. This includes drought, new fungal pathogens and additional challenges that the world must combat due to climate change. “When you consider plants collected from different areas in the world, they have evolved to adapt to that specific environment. That’s what makes them really useful for plant breeders,” says Alan Humphries, curator of the Australian Pastures Genebank, on the Feb. 8 episode of Seed Speaks. Wild relatives have proven just how valuable they can be time and time again in the past. For example, the U.S. wild grape relative is utilized as a root stock to offer resistance to phylloxera for cultivated grapes. Lettuce’s Lactuca serriola, also known as prickly lettuce, provides resistance to downy mildew and were used to breed resistant varieties of head lettuce. Another wild species of lettuce, Lactuca virosa, gives cultivated lettuce resistance to lettuce aphid, according to Barbara Hellier, horticulture crops and Beta curator with the Western Regional Plant Introduction Station. “We’ve utilized wild relatives in the past for plant breeding. We don’t know what we’re going to be facing in the future, so they’re part of our insurance policy for food security,” she says. While wild relatives bring that necessary diversity back into the equation for plant breeders, it isn’t always easy to make that breeding process successful and produce the desired outcome. " **** **** - #science #knowledge #nature #society #prosperity 🧬🧑🎓🧩🧬🧪🔬🌾🧑🌾💚🍞- #wisdom #strength #beauty - #onehealth - #ZeroHunger #FoodSecurity #agriculture #biotechnology #bioeconomy #farmers #Food #health #soil #climatechange ... - #foodparadox (Too much - ↔️ - too little) - #agricultureparadox (to produce more - ↔️ - more nature conservation)

Dairy cows managed in winter on pasture with hay bales spent more time ruminating and lying in postures indicative of greater thermal comfort than those on kale crops, newly published research has found. Cows managed on pasture with hay also had higher skin temperatures and cleaner coats. The results suggest the greater opportunities for thermal comfort on pasture with hay may be due to both increased rumination activities and a more insulated lying area. AgResearch scientists joined with colleagues from Massey University in carrying out the study on NZ dairy farms with 80 Friesian cross-bred (Friesian and Jersey), nonlactating and pregnant cows, in the winter of 2022. The published research states: "In countries with pasture-based dairy systems and relatively cold winters, such as New Zealand, it is common to manage pregnant, nonlactating cows on forage crop paddocks rather than pasture due to slow pasture growth rates. Wintering dairy cattle on grazed crops can compromise welfare if wet and muddy underfoot conditions occur, which can reduce lying. This study investigated behavioral and physiological indicators of welfare of cows under 2 wintering practices: cows managed on and grazed kale crop, and cows managed on pasture with baled hay". The project received funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)' Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change (SLMACC) fund, and AgResearch's Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF). Read the full study at: https://lnkd.in/gJeUSf5e #dairy #dairycows #dairycattle #cows #wintering #animalwelfare #animalhealth #research #science #kale #hay #wintercrops #newzealand #nzdairy Karin Schutz Bella Latimer Ross Monaghan Laura Hunter

Wild ginger, also known as Hedychium gardnerianum. This will be next week’s ‘weed of the week’ I was doing the usual search on Google scholar to see what the published scientists have to say, and am learning so much about the barriers to holistic weed management using a biodynamic approach. I always thought the main barrier was a drop in sales of glyphosate, or the added cost of manually removing the plants, but what I learned last night made me gasp. Apparently, there’s a concern that if we find a really good way to use something like the worm castings from wild ginger, then it will tempt people to grow it commercially. Seriously? I know for a fact there is SO much of this around, I would have thought that officials would leap at the chance to put it to good use. Also: Interesting to see the recommendation to not use the weedkillers on specimens of wild ginger located near waterways. Does it all get dumped into landfill? Weed of the week progress so far: Last week: dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) This week: convolvulus, bindweed (Calystegia sylvatica) Next week: wild ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) What invasive plant are you most curious to learn about? Commercial growers: please get in touch by email if you’d like to run some trials using wild ginger worm castings. This will be the perfect fit for someone, somewhere, so let’s start trying a few options? katrina@blueborage.co.nz 🌱🌱🌱 Blue Borage: using a holistic weed management strategy to help remove toxic weedkillers from New Zealand’s home gardens, schools, workplace gardens and parks. One space at a time, creating closed loop systems where all vegetation is returned to the earth as a resource. www.blueborage.co.nz 🌱🌱🌱

Without bees we don’t eat. 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆. 𝗔 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹-𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴. Your fresh food section would look very different without the bees’ help. Bees help pollinate almost everything from nuts & berries to vegetables & melons. In fact, 𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝟯 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗳𝘂𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟯𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆. And bees contribute most of it. $1 TRILLION – ANNUAL SALES DEPENDENT ON ANIMAL POLLINATION  $190 BILLION – ANNUAL SERVICES PROVIDED TO FARMING BY ANIMAL POLLINATORS Albert Einstein famously said that ‘if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, man would have only four years to live’. While even the most apocalyptically pessimistic ecologist would struggle to sustain this line of thinking, this genius saw more clearly than many the fundamental importance of pollination in sustaining the human economy. Fortunately there is no need to test Einstein’s prediction. We clearly possess the means to keep the world’s pollinator populations strong & robust, if we want to. All we have to do is invest in the many practical & often simple steps that will take us in that direction. We kinda need bees, right? #WorldBeeDay #savethebees Beekeeper

#PawpawsandSnipes As a child, my cousins I were routinely instructed to get out of the house and go into the woods and look for pawpaws during grown-up time at late summer/fall family reunions and get-togethers. As a young scout, being sent out on a snipe hunt was practically a rite of passage. Many good memories running around the woods during camp! Around the age of thirteen, having found neither, I believed that both snipes and pawpaws were fictional. While I have yet to see a snipe, I recently have been introduced to the fascinating and tasty world of pawpaws. I ran into one of the brothers who sold me deer corn a few years ago and in the course of conversation pawpaws came up. He agreed to show me where I could find some at his place and the rest is history! Many cool facts about pawpaws: 🍈 Pawpaws (Asimina triloba) are small trees that produce a large, edible fruit native to eastern North America.  🍈 They taste like a mix of banana, papaya and mango. 🍈 Pawpaws are America’s largest native edible native fruit. 🍈 Americans legends Daniel Boone and Lewis and Clark ate pawpaws. 🍈 They are essentially pest and disease free. 🍈 Also known as the ‘Indian banana’. 🍈 Nutritious containing fiber many vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. 🍈 A regenerative powerhouse that are used in creek bed and wetland erosion control projects due to its fibrous roots system. 🍈 Pawpaws are the only host plant for zebra swallowtails and are pollinated by flies and beetles creating and supporting biodiversity. 🍈 The folk song has been covered by over 100 musicians. 🍈 Penn State has a full-time research program and Kentucky State and The Ohio State also have large experimental orchards. 🍈 Potentially a high value, late season crop for small farms. 🍈 An emerging powerhouse in agroforestry and silvopasture!   The smoothies were delicious and I just ordered two grafted plants for the Tiny Farm. Will try and get the seeds to germinate in this spring. Still looking for a snipe! 😀 Have you ever eaten a pawpaw? #AllAgConsidered #Education #RegenerativeAgriculture #Nutrition #Biodiversity

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝Apiculture migratory plan? A #migratory #apiculture plan involves strategically moving #beehives to different locations throughout the year to optimize #honey production and #pollination services. Here are some key elements to consider when developing such a plan: 1. #SeasonalFloweringPatterns - Spring: Move hives to areas with early blooming flowers like fruit orchards. - Summer: Target regions with mid-season blooms such as clover fields. - Fall: Shift to late-blooming crops like sunflowers or buckwheat. 2. #Climate and #Weather Conditions - Ensure the chosen locations have favorable weather conditions for bees, avoiding extreme temperatures and heavy rainfall. 3. Pest and Disease Management - Regularly inspect hives for pests and diseases, especially when moving to new areas. Implement preventive measures to protect bee health. 4. Legal and Regulatory Compliance - Be aware of local regulations regarding beekeeping and the movement of hives. Obtain necessary permits if required. 5. #Logistics and Transportation - Plan the transportation of hives carefully to minimize stress on the bees. Use ventilated vehicles and avoid long journeys during extreme weather. 6. #NutritionalNeeds - Ensure bees have access to diverse floral resources to meet their nutritional needs throughout the year. 7. #RecordKeeping - Maintain detailed records of hive movements, health inspections, and honey yields to monitor the effectiveness of the migratory plan. Example of a Migratory Route - January - February: Southern regions with early blooms. - March - April: Move to central regions for mid-season crops. - May - June: Northern areas for late spring and early summer blooms. - July - August:High-altitude regions for summer flowers. - September - October: Return to southern regions for fall crops. Implementing a well-thought-out migratory plan can significantly enhance honey production and ensure the health and productivity of your bee colonies.

The Buzz on Honey Bees: Uncovering their Crucial Role in Pollination. Did you know that honey bees play a vital role in pollination, responsible for 1/3 of the food we eat? Here's how they do it: 1. Nectar collection: Honey bees visit flowers in search of nectar, a sweet, energy-rich liquid secreted by plants. 2. Tongue extension: Bees extend their long, tube-shaped tongues (called proboscis) to reach nectar deep within flowers. 3. Nectar sucking: Bees suck nectar from the flower, storing it in their extra stomach (called the honey stomach). 4. Pollen collection: As bees move from flower to flower, they collect pollen from the anthers (male reproductive organs) and transfer it to the stigma (female reproductive organ). 5. Pollination: This pollen transfer allows plants to fertilize each other, resulting in fruit, seeds, and new plants. Honey bees pollinate many crops, including: - Almonds - Apples - Berries - Citrus fruits - Avocados Without honey bees, our food supply would be severely impacted. Let's appreciate these tiny, hardworking creatures and take steps to protect their habitats and colonies! #HoneyBees #Pollination #FoodSecurity #Sustainability #NatureLovers #WildlifeAppreciation"