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 Farmscaping for Beneficials Project of the Integrated Plant Protection Center (IPPC) at Oregon State University (OSU), and the farmers of Persephone Farm invite local farmers to take a break with us for an afternoon of intrigue and discovery with native bees, predacious ground beetles, and true bugs, Tuesday, July 22nd from 2-5 at Persephone Farm..

Persephone Farm in Lebanon, Oregon is bordered by the South Santiam River, with diverse and mature riparian vegetation, and oak savannah that eventually merge with the forested vegetation of the western Cascade foothills. Innovative farmers, Jeff Falen and Elanor O’Brien have been farming certified organic vegetables for fresh market at Persephone for over 20 years. They grow thirteen acres of mixed vegetables, strawberries, and raise 200 chickens for eggs on 23 acres in a four year rotation. Elanor and Jeff are masters at integrating and growing insectary plantings within their production crops. Persephone is also home to Oregon’s oldest beetle bank, (undisturbed, on-farm habitat for predacious ground beetles) now going into its 4th year. Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation will be on-hand to introduce us to the world of native pollinators.

At the walk we will be taking a detailed, hands-on, look into the identification, biology, and ecology, of native bees, bugs and beetles and the on-farm habitat that supports them. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to follow veteran organic 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 true bug?”, and “Hey, why isn’t this beneficial insect around when I need him the most?”.

This is a free BYOB (bring your own bug) event so if some insect 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.
Please register by calling Gwendolyn Ellen at 541-737-6272, gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu

The farm walks are sponsored by OSU’s, Farmscaping for Beneficials Project at IPPC and The Xerces Society who are working together on projects that support grower-led activities to 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.