Grey Bruce Welcomes First Certified “Bee Friendly Farm”
Green Being Farm recently became Canada’s 3rd certified Bee Friendly Farm! This certification program is run through the Partners for Sustainable Pollination and was brought to Canada through Seeds of Diversity and their Pollination Canada program. 
The goal of the BFF™ initiative, launched in 2010—and now in both the U.S. and Canada—is to increase public awareness, recognize agricultural producers who provide forage for honey bees and other pollinators, and encourage consumers to support BFF-certified agricultural producers.
We decided to certify to help increase awareness of the crucial role that bees, and other pollinators play in our food system. With one third of all the crops we grow dependent on pollinators, it is clear that the ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’ being witnessed in honey bees will be a prelude to our own collapse if we don’t take action.
Our way of taking action is to provide an oasis for bees, increasingly important in an agriculture dominated by monocrops, most of which are genetically modified organisms dependent on pesticides. We do this by producing a diversity of crops organically, and by maintaining stands of flowering forages at all times of the season, to ensure that pollinators are never without a source of nectar or pollen.
Becoming a certified Bee Friendly farm is not difficult and helps to raise awareness about the roles that pollinators play in our food system. The BFF self-certification process is easy, and it’s open to beekeepers, growers and others that can show they meet bee friendly criteria. For those who are interested in becoming a Bee Friendly Farmer, or want to learn more about the BFF initiative, take a look at http://pfspbees.org/selfcert.htm.
