Progress report for WPDP25-009
Project Information
Agriculture professionals, and sustainable farmers they serve, are prospering from WFA’s education about beneficial birds and insects. These animals provide a gateway to whole farm stewardship due to their pest control services and their dependence on water-filtering and carbon-storing habitat. Building on our efforts and incorporating Salmon Safe’s water quality expertise, we will expand our reach to agricultural professionals in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in the Interior Columbia Basin of Oregon, Washington and Idaho; areas where producers have less access to experts with sustainable agriculture knowledge. Growers adopt best management practices when they have access to quality information (Baumgart-Getz et al. 2012) and technical support (Garbach et al. 2017). This project’s robust, technical information will train ag professionals the on latest research, tools and resources that support conservation biological control while also protecting water quality and fostering climate resilience.
By guiding farmers to implement strategies embedded in our Farmland Flyways (installing nest boxes and perches), Farmland Wildways (planting native habitat in patches and hedgerows), and Farmland Waterways (conserving and restoring connected riparian habitat), agricultural professionals will achieve crucial agroecological and conservation targets. As a result, farmers will benefit from a decrease in pests and pesticide use. Wild nature itself—the birds, insects, salmon and other aquatic life—will also reap the benefits of diversifying farms.
Ag professionals will be educated through 4 field days (one in each state), 4 producer/researcher profiles and 4 interactive webinars. The profiles will likely be with the producers who host field days, and with researchers whose work is related to the farm’s sustainability practices. The webinars will cover beneficial insect and bird habitat, water quality and climate resilience. Post-training evaluations will measure impact, and the profiles, recorded webinars and related WFA resources will be available for professionals to refer to when working with producers.
- By August 2026, at least 300 agricultural professionals in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho will deepen their expertise in biodiversity conservation practices by attending one of four field days. These events will empower them with the latest research, actionable strategies, and practical tools to guide farmers toward sustainable practices that reduce pesticide use, integrate natural avian and insect predators, protect water resources, and enhance farm climate resilience. By strengthening these professionals’ capacity, this project will support sustainable production, conservation, and climate adaptation across the region.
- By September 2026, over 400 agricultural professionals in the four states will participate in a series of four expert-led webinars, which will provide practical, cost-effective insights and resources on biodiversity conservation. The webinars will equip professionals with evidence-based strategies to guide farmers in reducing pesticide use, improving water quality, and bolstering climate resilience. This expanded access to resources will extend best practices to a larger network, amplifying the impact on regional sustainability.
- By December 2026, more than 750 agricultural professionals will gain insights into real-world biodiversity conservation practices through four in-depth profiles. These profiles will highlight innovative practices implemented by farmers along with researchers who will discuss how these practices provide benefits for pest control, water quality and climate resilience. By showcasing regional success stories, these profiles will inspire and empower professionals to advocate for and assist with broader implementation across farms, fostering a collaborative network for conservation in the West.
Pesticide concentrations in Western U.S. rivers frequently exceed safe levels for aquatic life. Nutrient pollution from fertilizers further stresses these waterways, causing algal blooms and low-oxygen conditions, especially in densely farmed regions with limited water flow (Covert et al. 2020). In one of our project areas—Oregon’s Walla Walla Valley—imidacloprid was detected in amounts over aquatic life benchmarks (ODEQ and ODA 2024). Riparian vegetated buffers that Salmon Safe promotes are effective at reducing the movement of pesticides into water, especially when buffer width is considered along with the source area, soil components, runoff intensity and plant community (Prosser et al. 2020).
Planting natural enemy arthropod habitat is proven to be an effective IPM practice for reducing the use of pesticides in major California fruits and vegetables described in WFA’s “Managing Pests with Predator and Parasitoid Habitat” publication and our beneficial insect habitat videos. These same kinds of habitat benefits are also known for NW crops like wheat (Collins et al., 2002) and hops (Gent et al. 2015).
Instead of using imidacloprid in brassicas and lettuce for aphids, biocontrol can be achieved by supporting syrphid flies with sweet alyssum. Likewise, instead of using imidacloprid for grape pests, mealybugs can be reduced by supporting lacewings with phacelia, and leafhoppers can be decreased by supporting parasitoid wasps with coyote brush (WFA’s Managing Pests pub).
Providing nest boxes, perches and habitat for beneficial birds are also shown to be effective IPM practices in vegetables, fruit, nuts and field crops, as described in WFA’s WSARE PDP 2022 project “Empowering Agricultural Professionals to Support Beneficial Birds and Discourage Pest Birds.” Building on this project, we will share the latest research from Cooperator Matt Johnson. For example, songbirds spend 70% to 86% of their time foraging on farms (Pham et al. 2023), but when temperatures are high, more time is spent in critical shady habitat (Johnson et al. 2023).
Hedgerows and riparian corridors store carbon above ground in their woody biomass (Schoeneberger 2009) and sequester it below ground through litter deposition and root exudates (Pardon et al. 2017). When comparing soil carbon in hedgerow plantings versus adjacent crop fields, hedgerows have significantly higher amounts at all depths of the soil (Chiartas et al. 2022).
We’ve reviewed many WSARE PDP grants, including SW10-052 which discusses native plants that support beneficial insects (we’ve cited this research in our publication and plan to invite Dr. James to speak in WA); EW03-007 covers planting hedgerows in California (we’ve collaborated extensively with the authors), GW06-016 discusses beneficial insect movement from hedgerows (we videotaped this author), EW02-009 discusses importance of birds in the Great Plains, and is not about avian pest control; ENC20-191 gives farm examples of agroforestry climate adaptations but not the science behind it, nor does it focus on conservation practices that support pest control, or that yield water quality benefits.
Engage Project Cooperators
Activity: Initial Zoom call to review project deliverables and establish the work plan.
Outcome: Clear project roles and timelines.
Timeline: April 2025
Expand Agricultural Professional Database
Activity: Update database to broaden outreach for field days, webinars, and profiles.
Outcome: Extended reach across target regions.
Timeline: April-June 2025
Field Day Planning and Execution (4 Events)
Activity: Identify farm hosts, plan logistics, secure speakers, conduct events with presentations and farm walks. Collect feedback.
Outcome: 300 participants increased understanding of biodiversity practices.
Timeline: Planning 2-3 months prior to each event; 2 events held July-Dec 2025 and 2 in April-Sept 2026
Webinar Planning and Hosting (4 Webinars)
Activity: Secure speakers, organize topics, identify learning objectives, conduct live webinars, and upload recordings.
Outcome: 400 participants expand knowledge on effective conservation practices; recorded resources for ongoing education and outreach.
Timeline: Planning Oct-Dec 2025; hosting Jan-March 2026
Farmer and Researcher Profiles (4 Profiles)
Activity: Conduct interviews, draft, finalize, and publish profiles.
Outcome: 750 professionals are inspired by profiles that highlight conservation practices.
Timeline: Interviews held in July-Dec 2025 and April-Sept 2026; published Oct-Dec 2026
Conduct Project Outreach
Activity: Share recorded webinars, profiles, and materials via email and partner networks.
Outcome: Extended knowledge reach through digital resources.
Timeline: November-December 2026
Cooperators
- (Researcher)
Education
Wild Farm Alliance’s (WFA) educational approach combines experiential, expert-led, and practitioner-informed learning to advance biodiversity conservation in agriculture. The project delivers education through in-person field days, interactive webinars, and practice-based farm profiles. Four state-based field days feature leading experts and guided, station-based farm walks giving participants the opportunity to observe and discuss conservation practices in real-world settings. Four live webinars pair two speakers in focused, interactive sessions, with recordings available for continued access. Both formats offer Continuing Education credits to support professional development and broaden participation.
To reinforce applied learning, the project develops farm profiles based on interviews with growers and researchers, highlighting successful practices and the science behind them. Outreach is strengthened through expanded WFA professional databases across California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, alongside targeted partner collaboration to ensure educational materials reach a broad and relevant audience. Ongoing evaluation after each event supports adaptive improvement throughout the project.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
By August 2026, at least 300 agricultural professionals in California, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho will deepen their expertise in biodiversity conservation practices by attending one of four field days. These events will empower them with the latest research, actionable strategies, and practical tools to guide farmers toward sustainable practices that reduce pesticide use, integrate natural avian and insect predators, protect water resources, and enhance farm climate resilience. By strengthening these professionals’ capacity, this project will support sustainable production, conservation, and climate adaptation across the region.
We have worked with our advisory team to create a roadmap for our planned field days in 2026. These efforts began with a robust build out of our existing state outreach lists for agricultural professionals. As an organization we have a comprehensive existing contact database for California, Oregon, and Washington. Thus, we created a broad list of agricultural professionals to contact in Idaho. We have incorporated that new data into our preexisting state lists to ensure our field day attendance deliverables are met. Additionally, we have targeted the potential dates and regions for our planned field days: March, San Joaquin Valley (CA), April, Walla Walla Watershed (OR), and August, Yakima Valley (WA); Treasure Valley (ID).
To date we have not held any field days and do not have any outcomes or impacts to report on.
By September 2026, over 400 agricultural professionals in the four states will participate in a series of four expert-led webinars, which will provide practical, cost-effective insights and resources on biodiversity conservation. The webinars will equip professionals with evidence-based strategies to guide farmers in reducing pesticide use, improving water quality, and bolstering climate resilience. This expanded access to resources will extend best practices to a larger network, amplifying the impact on regional sustainability.
We have created a new state contact list for Idaho and folded it into our preexisting contact database for California, Oregon, and Washington. This database will be used to conduct outreach for all of the planned webinars. The target dates and topics of our webinars are: Webinar 1: Beneficial Songbird and Raptor Support (November 25’), Webinar 2: Beneficial Insect Habitat (February 26’), Webinar 3: Water Quality Protection (March 26’), and Webinar 4: Climate Resilience (April/May 26’). Our advisory team has finalized Eleanor MacDonald, Dr. Matt Johnson, Saul Alba, and David James as speakers. We’re currently conducting outreach for the remaining speaking positions.
We completed Webinar 1 in November 2025 with 52 attending. Dr. Matt Johnson and Graduate Student Eleanor MacDonald both of Cal Poly Humboldt shared the results of their research evaluating avian-pest interactions and ecosystem services in vineyards. Attendees learned about how installing nest boxes boosted bluebird, swallow, and barn owl populations in vineyards – and how these birds in turn, influenced rodent and insect pests as well as beneficial insects. Johnson and MacDonald also shared key insights into the factors that shape how effectively birds help suppress vineyard pests. After the webinar, attendees completed an evaluation to analyze their experience. 97.3% of participants reported the webinar quality as “excellent”. 88.1% reported that they “learned how specific Barn Owl nest box design features increase the likelihood of occupancy” and 85.7% indicated that they “learned how songbird nest boxes increase bluebird and swallow abundance.”
By December 2026, more than 750 agricultural professionals will gain insights into real-world biodiversity conservation practices through four in-depth profiles. These profiles will highlight innovative practices implemented by farmers along with researchers who will discuss how these practices provide benefits for pest control, water quality and climate resilience. By showcasing regional success stories, these profiles will inspire and empower professionals to advocate for and assist with broader implementation across farms, fostering a collaborative network for conservation in the West.
We have spent the last few months working with our advisory team to outline our approach for the planned farmer profiles. We have strong internal reference points thanks to our ongoing Farmer Success Stories series. Once our field day farmers are set our communications team will begin preparing for the interview and writing process of each profile. These profiles will highlight innovative practices implemented by the farmers along with researchers who will discuss how these practices provide benefits for pest control, water quality and climate resilience.
To date we have not published any profiles and do not have any outcomes or impacts to report on.