Rushton Farm bee apiary. Photo by Jennifer Mathes.
The Buzzy Life of Bees at Rushton Farm By Monica McQuail, Communications Specialist One sunny midsummer day in 2012 on Rushton Farm, the bees decided to swarm. Noah [Gress], a certified apiarist — and the Sustainable Gardening Manager teaching our cohort on agro-ecology best practices that day — knew exactly what to do and quickly sprang into action. He was able to smoothly and safely locate the queen bee and remove the branch occupied by the swarm. This mesmerizing event lasted only a minute or two, before it was time to return to tending the row crops we were growing to support the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and donate to the Chester County Food Bank and West Chester Food Cupboard. Despite the brevity of this moment, it made a lasting impression on all of us who were there.
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his memory was fondly recounted by Benjamin Reynard, a former intern at Willistown Conservation Trust’s Rushton Farm and the founder of Pollinator Patch, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring backyard habitat with the bees in mind.
Inspired by his experience with the bees, Ben decided to make Rushton Farm the focus of his capstone project that same year, and he began collecting bee specimens to send back to a bee lab for identification. As he explains, “Thanks to the sustainable farming practices, focus on native plantings and abundant open space, we were able to identify 49 unique species of bees at Rushton Farm.” Today, a specimen representing each of these 49 types of bees is displayed in a large protective box found at the Rushton Conservation Center. These bees serve as a constant reminder of just how diverse nature can be when nurtured sustainably. BEES ON RUSHTON FARM As for Noah and the bees, all parties continue to thrive in their mutually beneficial relationship. Five to ten honeybee colonies live in the sunshine on a secluded hill at Rushton Woods Preserve, overlooking Rushton Farm. In addition to the crops grown at the Farm, these pollinators have ample access to the variety of native gardens and wildflower meadows that are found in the warmer months on the 84 protected acres of Rushton Farm and Rushton Woods Preserve. While only six acres, the Farm’s diverse plant life and holistic approach to ethical farming have created an ecosystem that allows the birds, bees, and other pollinators like flies, butterflies, and wasps to flourish. Director of Community Farm Program Fred De Long and farm staff avoid pesticides and herbicides, remove their polymesh row covers at optimal times to allow pollinators access to the plants, and maintain mulching between rows so the pollinators can overwinter. 20 | NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
