Encouraging Birdlife to Control Pests: Another Reason to Eat Organic
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 03.26.08
Many folks will tell you that the essence of organic agriculture is about working with, rather than against, nature. But aside from avoiding artificial pesticides and fertilizers, what does that really mean in practice? The video above is just one example of how organic farmers encourage natural checks and balances to control insects and pests – in this case stringing up bird houses across a dairy farm to encourage swallows, which in turn keep down the fly population. But increased biodiversity is not the only benefit of organics – carbon sequestration and higher levels of certain nutrients are all part of the bargain too. Check out our Green Basics guide to organic food for more on good green eating. ::Cookingupastory::via YouTube::
That's awesome. So much better than spraying the cows.
We have black phoebe birds in our backyard, and they are amazing! They will eat almost any bug including the dreaded box-elder bug (which is like a cockroach). I love them!
I just like to sit outside with a beer and watch them eat. I really do need to buy them some bird homes though, as a "thank you" for all their hard work.