Blog Posts

  • A Farmer-Ecologist Research Circle Description and links to Materials about Some of this Summer’s Work

    A Preamble (or was that ‘Pre-ramble’?) of Sorts. It can be useful to periodically restate what it is we’re trying to do. The following are a few words that were shared at the 17 Dec. 2025 meeting of the Research Circle. In part, they’re meant to help newcomers understand what we’re up to and to…

  • Seen on the Wing: Bees Observed During 2025 Farm Flower Surveys, Part 1.

    by Conrad. A Triepeolus bee about to get sucked into a Sunflower vortex (just kidding). These bees parasitize long-horned bees (see below). INTRO During the Summer, we collected data on the distribution and abundance of seeded and uncultivated flowers on and around nine different farms. We also gathered observations of bee visitation to those flowers.…

  • June with the Flowers & Bees.

    by Claudia & Conrad. Background Deriving from our conversations within the Farmer-Ecologist Research Circle during the winter and early spring of 2025, this season we are exploring a set of questions related to on-farm flowers and beneficial insects. Specifically, wild flower plantings are being promoted for a variety of reasons, including their support of insects.…

  • A Taste of What We’re Up To.

    by Conrad. We’ve begun our Summer bumbling (both because we’re still trying to find our way methodologically and because I’m counting bumble bees). Basically, on each of your farms, Claudia and I outline a portion, often with your input, that we’re going to focus on. Within that portion, Claudia maps management units (for example, different…

  • What’s ahead?

    Just a brief update for any of you who are following us – This season, the Circle fieldwork will focus on two projects. One will work with participating farmers to understand their little-used nooks and crannies. Where are these? What role do they already play in the farm’s functioning? What future role might they be…