Take a short trip to Touchet to learn about the vital role bees play in alfalfa seed production.
The Touchet Valley, with over 12,000 acres of alfalfa seed, is the second largest alfalfa producing area in the United States. Leafcutter bees and alkali bees are the only reliable means of pollinating the bloom enabling local farmers to produce high quality alfalfa seed. Nearly 17 million alkali bees call the Touchet Valley home, making it the world’s largest community of non-honey bee pollinators.
Stuart and Sheryl Byerley will explain how both alkali and leaf cutter bees are necessary in this amazing type of farming. Get up close and personal with both types of these gentle bees as you discover the relationship they have with both the alkaline soils and alfalfa fields.
Come with us to Stuart and Sheryl Byerley’s 1,300-acre farm and see where these bees live and what they do.
For more information about this event, please contact Lauren Platman at lauren@bmlt.org or 509-525-3136.
Suitability: Children welcome, great for the family.
Difficulty: Involves walking and standing for periods of time.