The Western Region Functional Agricultural Biodiversity (FAB) Work Group supports scientists from the western US and specialists in agricultural biodiversity from industry, non-profits and farmers. They meet on a regular basis to develop conservation practices that can be adopted on western farms. Major focus areas of this group are conserving on-farm resources that promote pollination and biological pest suppression by insect predators, parasites and pathogens. As a part of its USDA-sponsored program, the FAB Work Group conducts annual field courses, and this year, we are organizing a tour of two farms in the La Grande area where resource conservation and production practices are successfully combined.

The FAB Work Group partnered with Union County Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service personnel and other regional experts to bring you the 8th Annual Biodiversity Working for Farmers Tour. This free event will provide useful information and opportunities for discussion for decision makers, political representatives, conservationists, the agricultural industry and area farmers. We will visit two La Grande area farms, Nilsson’s Farming Inc. and The Elmer’s Farm. The farmers will lead us through their diverse operations highlighting key conservation enhancement measures and current on-farm projects, soil building techniques, and alternative crop production practices such as no-till, windbreaks and insectary plantings. Botanists, conservationists, entomologists, local farmers, extension researchers, and bird and native bee experts will be giving brief, interactive, mini-presentations throughout the day. A mid-day catered lunch will be provided.