Agricultural Producer

The monarch butterfly population is in decline due to the loss of habitat that includes their host plant - milkweed! Increasing pollinator habitat in agricultural areas is key to restoring monarch populations. With the help of agricultural producers, we can reach our national goal of 1.8 billion additional milkweed plants and other wildflowers on the landscape.

Agricultural lands are rich with opportunities to provide monarch habitat, from fallow fields, hedgerows, marginal cropland, field margins, and the yards and gardens around our homes. Native prairie or grassland plantings for monarchs can also be incorporated into farm buffer systems (such as filter strips, grassed waterways, roadside embankments, and septic drainage fields). Even without installing new habitat, there are many ways to support healthier monarch populations in agricultural areas. Identifying and protecting existing habitat areas from mowing or potential pesticide drift are simple actions to take to promote monarch recovery

. There is room on every farm or ranch to incorporate monarch habitat in some way.

Conservation actions you take on your farm, ranch, or backyard, no matter what size, can provide additional economic gain as well as ecological benefits. Monarch habitat benefits honeybees and native pollinators, which are critical in pollinating many agricultural crops. Setting aside small areas of habitat near or within crops that require pollination can provide food and shelter to support a healthy local pollinator population and improve yields. (Photo by Denise Ellsworth, The Ohio State University)

Key Habitat Components

A combination of early, middle, and late blooming species, with the overlap in flowering times to fuel pollinators and butterfly breeding and migration
Native milkweeds to provide food for monarch caterpillars
Limited use of herbicides within and surrounding the habitat only to control invasive or noxious weeds.
Reduced insecticide use in or surrounding habitat. Use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control unwanted pests.
Habitat management plan to ensure successful establishment and longevity of habitat

Habitat Creation or Enhancement Opportunities and Considerations

Once you have identified a parcel(s) of land to improve or restore habitat for monarchs, you'll need to be connected with the right tools, partners, and information to ensure your habitat is the best it can be! The table below illustrates incentive programs, planning tools, best management practices, habitat assessment tools, and more for establishing monarch habitat in agricultural areas. In addition to what is listed below, consult with your local conservation agents or technical service providers (i.e., NRCS, local conservation districts, Pheasants Forever, USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, etc.) to aid in these processes.

Organizations	Tools/Resources	Description
NRCS Monarch Butterfly Habitat Development Project and Working Lands for Wildlife	Using Farm Bill Programs for Pollinator Conservation Working Lands Monarch Storymap Plant recommendations for monarch butterflies for the Midwest Plant recommendations for monarch butterflies for the Southern Plains How Farmers Can Help Pollinators How NRCS is Helping Pollinators Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Guides (WHEG) Financial assistance	Cost-share for ten key monarch breeding states in central U.S. WHEGs provides an in-depth habitat quality assessment.
Farm Service Agency	Conservation Reserve Program Honey Bee Initiative notice	Incentives and activities to increase monarch and pollinator habitat in the Upper Midwest.
US Fish and Wildlife Service	Partners for Fish and Wildlife Agricultural Resources	Private landowner assistance program to support conservation projects.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation	Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund	Grants are available for both habitat improvement projects and outreach and organization coordination.
Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund	Seed and financial assistance	Innovative solution for landowners to receive seed and contract payments to turn underutilized acreage into productive habitat designed for both honeybees and monarchs.
Commission for Environmental Cooperation	Monarch Conservation Toolbox	The website with best management practices, incentive programs, and pilot projects to maintain and create monarch habitats.
BASF	Living Acres Research Initiative	Research initiative focusing on best management practices to increase diversity with modern ag operations.
Syngenta	Operation Pollinator	International biodiversity program to increase pollinators on commercial farms by creating specific habitats.
Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange	Habitat Quantification Tool (HQT) and CalculatorFinancial assistance	An incentive program that enables incentive payments to be directed to priority habitat restoration and conservation sites based on habitat quality (HQT).
Land Conservation Assistance Network	Incentive programs	Federal, state, and local funding, incentive, and financial/technical assistance programs to help conserve land and estates.
Science-based Trials of Row crops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS)	Farmland conservation practice	Research and demonstration of integrating small amounts of native plant habitat into strategic locations within row crop fields to yield benefits for soil, water, and biodiversity.
Tallgrass Prairie Center	Prairie On Farms Iowa Prairie Seed Calculator Habitat Establishment Guidelines Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Habitat Signage	Technical information about seed source, seed mix design, habitat establishment in Iowa, demonstration habitats, and educational events.
Xerces Society	Pollinator Habitat Assessment Guide Farming for Bees Regional nectar plant lists Pollinators and Roadsides Pollinator Habitat Installation Guide	Simple tools for habitat planning and assessment.
Monarch Joint Venture	Monarch Habitat Assessment Tool Mowing: Best Practices for Monarchs Milkweed and Monarch Misconceptions www.plantmilkweed.org Downloads and Links	Simple tools for habitat planning, habitat assessment, and management.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever	Farm Bill Biologist Program Seed Program Precision Agriculture Technology A Patchwork for Pollinators	The Farm Bill biologist program is designed to educate farmers and landowners about the benefits of conservation programs, as well as assist those landowners after programs have been implemented. It's the ‘One Stop Shop’ for anything conservation and wildlife-related on private lands. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever offer seed mixes that meet all USDA conservation standards and projects not associated with a USDA program that benefit birds, bees, and butterflies.
Pollinator Partnership Canada	Pollinator Guides for Ag Webinar- Conserving Monarchs: Opportunities on Farms in Canada	Pollinator Partnership Canada provides EcoRegional Planting Guides and Technical Guides for Land Managers for farmers and land managers looking to improve pollinator habitat on their land in Canada.
Sustainable Ag Resources	Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education ATTRA Sustainable Ag Land Stewardship Project BASF Sustainable Ag Resources Precision conservation meets precision agriculture Crop Production Costs, Profits, and Ecosystem Stewardship with Precision Agriculture Subfield profitability analysis reveals an economic case for cropland diversification
Honey Bee Health Coalition	Soybean Best Management Practices Corn Best Management Practices	While emphasizing honey bees, this coalition offers resources applicable to pollinator conservation more broadly.
Monarch Collaborative (Keystone Policy Center)	Farmers for Monarchs	This collaboration brings together the ag industry, conservation organizations, and agencies to integrate monarch work into agricultural areas.
Farm Bill Conservation Resources	Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership: The Farm Bill Using Farm Bill Programs for Pollinator Conservation Precision Conservation	Information about the Farm Bill's connection to conservation and how landowners and hunters can engage. The MJV does not endorse policy statements made by external organizations.

Education and Monitoring

As a steward of the land, you can demonstrate how agriculture and habitat conservation practices go hand-in-hand. Host field days to share information with your neighbors about how habitat for monarchs and pollinators fits on your farm and within your lifestyle. Establish a relationship with local technical service providers or conservation NGOs to share experiences and opportunities for further collaboration. Many certification programs are available to register or certify your habitat for increased exposure and generating awareness. Use these to share your story and display signage to draw attention to the site and its value for monarchs and pollinators.

You can also provide valuable information about how monarchs are utilizing habitat in agricultural areas through citizen science. These projects provide a fun opportunity to engage your kids, grandkids, or other family members in observing the habitat on your farm or ranch. The primary monarch citizen science opportunities are described here.

Case Studies

Farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers of all varieties are implementing monarch habitat restoration on their properties. Below are some compelling examples of practitioners befitting from pollinator habitat along with the monarchs:

Scientific Resources

Pest control and pollination cost–benefit analysis of hedgerow restoration in a simplified agricultural landscape, Morandin, Long & Kremen, 2016
Regenerative agriculture: merging farming and natural resource conservation profitably, LaCanne & Lundgren, 2018