Pollinator Strips

[bwoods11]

i think my pollinator payment is in one year but its a 5 year program/agreement. i have other csp programs that are spread out or paid each year. My total contract payment period is 5 years. In my program i pay for the seed myself but the payment is a set amount per acre, approx 2300 per acre for the monarch program.

How much per acre? Where?

 

[nwmn]

How much per acre? Where?

He's in Wisconsin, but it's the same for MN. I've heard of others doing this program as well in MN. Lock in 14 acres for 40k. EQIP doesn't pay quite as well for monarch mix but pays decent, there are honeybee pollinator programs as well. Tons of good resources.

 

[JFK52]

I just sent in two applications for the CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) to my NRCS office. One for forest land and one for crop land. Each gets a case number assigned to it. I am looking to get into the monarch butterfly planting program. Possibly get some assistance with the elimination of black locust and box elder trees on my land. The EQIP program I applied for gave such a low pay out per acre that it was not feasible for me to accept. By the time I bought the required seed, there was nothing left for diesel fuel for my Kubota to do the necessary work. My hope is that the CSP will pay better.

 

[bowhunternw]

How much is the seed cost per acre for the Monarch Mix?

 

[bwoods11]

He's in Wisconsin, but it's the same for MN. I've heard of others doing this program as well in MN. Lock in 14 acres for 40k. EQIP doesn't pay quite as well for monarch mix but pays decent, there are honeybee pollinator programs as well. Tons of good resources.

Someone expand on this more, you get $40k for 14 acres,,one time or ?

 

[john volkman]

Someone expand on this more, you get $40k for 14 acres,,one time or ?

go on the NRCS website and look under CSP programs, then contact your local NRCS agent and see what is available for you site. there is literally pages of practices , payments vary by each practice.

 

[nwmn]

He's in Wisconsin, but it's the same for MN. I've heard of others doing this program as well in MN. Lock in 14 acres for 40k. EQIP doesn't pay quite as well for monarch mix but pays decent, there are honeybee pollinator programs as well. Tons of good resources.

Someone expand on this more, you get $40k for 14 acres,,one time or ?

I think it's a one time seeding, 5 year commitment. I know second hand, but at least that's what I believe. I think they want you to have it longer than 5 years, but I'm sure they realize after year 5 is up, and the landowner raked in stupid cash they will spray it and it'll be planted right back into the next lucrative emergency planting.

I think seed was arou nd 150 per acre. Depends on the mix as well. Every pollinator program is different. I know nothing of csp, and very little of EQIP, but I know they're worth consideration, especially for what everyone on here does. Puts money in your pocket to do what we already pay money to do.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[john volkman]

How much is the seed cost per acre for the Monarch Mix?

roughly $5-600 PER ACRE

 

[tynimiller]

Only having a strip of maybe 20 yards wide by maybe 80 yards long I've decided to forego the paperwork and such and just plant a wildflower mix or perhaps even just buckwheat to encourage pollinator (bee) usage. I do have a contact should I ever desire to enter a program though in the future, if I want to commit an acre or more into a program....perhaps some day.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Why not disc a few strips and see what the native seed bank produces?

bill

 

[tynimiller]

Why not disc a few strips and see what the native seed bank produces?

bill

This is a thought...the main spot is an old dirt track which has been killed and motocrossed on for years and now 10 years after nothing has happened there all that has grown is scrub bush and unwanted grasses. Granted discing could an unknown number of secret dormant seeds...still an option.

 

[cavey]

Its a legit deal, I just walked into my NRCS office yesterday and walked out with application papers. Im going to do two hives this spring and had heard about some food plot for bees programs kind of talk so I wanted to find out the facts.. I did 5 acres in a 10 year pollinator crp program this last spring along with some regular crp and a smaller 3 acre crep field but didnt know about this avenue. Anyways there is a mess of options with a variety of payment plans and contract terms. One even involves getting paid to plant clovers for the bees with one cutting allowed(deer like clover as well as bees,.. hint hint), another is a cover crop option and buckwheat is one variety in it. I have to read through the paper work and figure out which options work for me, but in the end I have some smaller acre areas that I need to do something with and its a good way to get paid for it... the monarch option is one of the high paying ones as mentioned above.... as added info ...my pollinator seed cost was 425 per acre and I had additional seed from the US Fish and Wildlife (milkweed varieties) added for free. Pheasants forever sells NRCS/CPR approved mixes.

 

[Telemark]

Why not disc a few strips and see what the native seed bank produces?

bill

I have terrible luck with this. Here everything turns to honeysuckle. Other places it all goes to goldenrod. And in Canada it usually becomes low grass or maple seedlings.

 

[TreeDaddy]

My bees love honeysuckle and golden rod......

bill

 

[Telemark]

To be honest, I forgot this was about pollinators. But yes, bees are the only thing that seem to like the goldenrod and honeysuckle.

 

[homegrownbucks]

Forgive my ignorance, Is that a yearly payout or just one payout per 5 years?

 

[john volkman]

another option for those looking to build pollinator habitat
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...ulV2_0fiyHwZCuJj_CK5BXENuFVK5rkthUcQgKOuB99gV

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Tynimiller at post #49 suggested just planting buckwheat. We've done that at camp every year and the bees are all over it. All kinds (varieties) of bees, butterflies, & flies that look like some type of bee. All pollinators. Plus, it's a good deer food and later when it goes to seed, it attracts turkeys, grouse, doves, and other birds. AND - if planted at the correct rate - it's great at keeping weeds down and adding OM to the soil. You get a 3-for or a 4-for with one plant. FWIW.

 

[tynimiller]

Tynimiller at post #49 suggested just planting buckwheat. We've done that at camp every year and the bees are all over it. All kinds (varieties) of bees, butterflies, & flies that look like some type of bee. All pollinators. Plus, it's a good deer food and later when it goes to seed, it attracts turkeys, grouse, doves, and other birds. AND - if planted at the correct rate - it's great at keeping weeds down and adding OM to the soil. You get a 3-for or a 4-for with one plant. FWIW.

While I don't desire to have deer here come hunting season, buckwheat is something I believe I may attempt to plant in one spot I have in mind for the simplicity it provides and is quite attractive to bees for sure.

 

[SwampCat]

Bees love buckwheat. Not all bee keepers love buckwheat. Buckwheat makes a very dark honey that many folks do not care fore. It does make a very good meade.