Gardners, PA – The hum and buzz of pollination is a welcome sound within the apple industry. Pollinators like honeybees and butterflies are vital to farmers, ensuring successful fruit production. After years of decline, honeybees are making a comeback; protection and propagation are of the utmost importance for pollinator insects. Nurturing their habitats and providing long-term food and shelter is an integral part of sustaining the life force behind our food.
Last spring, Valerie Ramsburg of Rice Fruit Company developed an innovative idea while walking through the orchard. “I noticed that we had just pushed out an older orchard which left a vacant block of land behind our office building, she shared. “That sparked the idea of creating a pollinator habitat.”
“We worked closely with a local nursery to bring the vision to life,” shared Valerie. By planting a diverse range of native plants and flowers, Rice Fruit Company has created a thriving habitat for honeybees and butterflies, bats, and other insects that feed on pests like the brown marmorated stink bug.
The idea of a pollinator habitat was met with unanimous support at Rice Fruit Company. “The pollinator garden served as the perfect enhancement to our surroundings, rendering a picturesque landscape that also aligns with our sustainability initiatives throughout the company,” reports Brenda Briggs, VP of Sales and Marketing at Rice Fruit Company.
Valerie believes this project will not only benefit the essential pollinator population but it is also an investment in education. “It’s our responsibility to educate on the ecological practices of farming and the indispensable role of nature in bringing produce from the farm to the supermarket shelves,” she said. “You can have perfect weather conditions and robust apple trees at the pinnacle of their production, but if you don’t have the bees to pollinate, all you have are trees with pretty flowers.”
Rice Fruit continues to enhance its business practices for a healthier future, and this garden represents only a small fraction of its efforts. To learn more about the importance of pollinator insects and pollinator-friendly plantings in your area, visit here: Native Pollinator Plants by USDA Farm Resource Region
About Rice Fruit Company
Rice Fruit Company, a family-run fruit packing business in the heart of Pennsylvania’s apple country, is dedicated to growing, packing, and shipping sweet-natured fruit to consumers near and far. A leader in innovative packinghouse technology, Rice Fruit is situated on the easternmost ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, whose peaks and valleys create a microclimate ideal for growing apples and many other delicious fruits. Rice Fruit is committed to delivering fruit at the height of freshness. Our proximity to buyer customers also ensures a reduced carbon footprint, moving our sweet-natured fruit sustainably to market, preserving the freshness of the fruit, and our heritage of delivering quality and consistency to our customers with each and every apple.
