Pollinator Habitats: Alsum Farms and U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center to Host Farmer-Led Field Day on June 12
![Alsum Farms Prairie Restoration Sign](https://i0.wp.com/alsum.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/alsum_prairie.jpg?resize=804%2C500&ssl=1)
Farmers, industry and educational leaders register here for the free event by June 7
Friesland, Wisconsin, May 31, 2024 — Alsum Farms, a Wisconsin Healthy Grown® potato farmer, is hosting in collaboration with the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center a Farmer-Led Field Day on managing pollinator habitats on Wednesday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.at Alsum Farms in Arena, Wis.
Farmers, industry, and educational leaders will learn from other farmers about their experiences managing pollinator-friendly habitats on farmlands. Stay for lunch hosted by Alsum Farms and a Resources Fair featuring representatives from various organizations that aid landowners in establishing biodiverse landscapes.
Alsum Farms grows, nurtures and harvests farm fresh potatoes that make their way to the dinner tables of Americans using the Wisconsin Healthy Grown® Program. This eco-friendly program has guided our farm sustainability practices since 1996. Alsum Farms utilizes the Healthy Grown Program’s regenerative agriculture approach to farming that works to strengthen ecosystems and community resilience. Alsum Farms has dedicated 50 acres to prairie restoration and pollinator habitats to cultivate a sustainably grown food supply.
“In 1992 we began farming and by 1996 helped establish the Wisconsin Healthy Grown® Program,” says Larry Alsum, a founding member of the Wisconsin Healthy Grown® Program. “Since that time, the Healthy Grown program has continued to guide our farm sustainability practices utilizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to efficiently manage inputs and implementing conservation practices that enhance ecosystem efforts.”
The June 12th managing pollinator habitats event schedule will be:
10 a.m. – Registration and welcome
10:30 a.m. – Alsum Farms prairie walking tour
11:45 a.m. – Farmer Q+A panel
12:30 p.m. – Lunch and Resources Fair
Alsum Farms is located at 6530 Helena Road, Arena, Wisconsin 53503
Register for the free event online by June 7, visit: https://forms.gle/VvmyLqfzdy5BM5Z3A
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About Alsum Farms & Produce
Alsum Farms & Produce Inc. is a leading fresh market grower, packer and shipper of Wisconsin grown potatoes, onions, and provider of fresh, quality produce. Established five decades ago and headquartered in Friesland, Wis., Alsum Farms & Produce is a vertically integrated family-owned farm, packing facility and logistics company providing quality produce. Committed to sustainability and stewardship of the soil, Alsum Farms grows 3,000 acres of Wisconsin Healthy Grown® Certified Alsum Potatoes along with pumpkins. For more information, visit www.alsum.com.
Photos: Alsum Farms prairie is lush with lupine and other native plants that help provide habitat for pollinators including the federally endangered species, the rusty-patched bumblebee that calls our farm home.
![Pollinator Habitat at Alsum Farms](https://i0.wp.com/alsum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Lupine-in-Bloom-at-Alsum-Farms.jpg?resize=950%2C950&ssl=1)
![Federally Endangered Rustic Patch Bumble Bee](https://i0.wp.com/alsum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Rustic-Patch-Bumble-Bee.jpg?resize=950%2C950&ssl=1)
![Butterflies at Alsum Farms Pollinator and Prairie Restoration](https://i0.wp.com/alsum.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Butterflies.jpg?resize=950%2C950&ssl=1)