In the early 1970s my brother Andy and I were paid 2 cents a plant to chop milkweed out of fields. If anyone cared about the relationship between milkweed and monarch butterflies in the early 1970s, I never heard about it. I also didn’t know Indiana was home to 15 species of milkweed, and more than 100 species are native in the United States.

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed and their caterpillars eat nothing but milkweed. So, without milkweed the monarch won’t survive. But farmers don’t want weeds in their fields, and milkweed falls into the “weeds” category for many people.

Loss of habitat and in particular loss of milkweed has led to a massive decline in the monarch butterfly population since the 1990s. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will decide in June whether the monarch will be placed on the Endangered Species list.

If the monarch makes that list, it could impact land management practices for farmers whose land falls in the butterflies’ migration path.

“Farmer participation in conservation programs has marked progress in habitat recovery, which has contributed to the case against listing the monarch,” according to the website Farmers for Monarchs at www.farmersformonarchs.org

“Landowners and farmers are uniquely situated to support the monarch, as the majority of the land along the monarch migration path is in private hands. Habitat plantings can fit into many niches on the agricultural landscape, including conservation lands, grazing lands, rights-of-way, field margins, and yard and garden areas. Milkweed and other nectar-producing flowers planted in these areas yield multiple on-farm benefits.”

Many Farm World readers live on the monarch’s path for both its fall and spring migrations. This makes our readers especially important to the survival of the butterfly. Millions of monarchs fly thousands of miles each year between where they winter in Mexico to where they summer in the eastern United States and Canada.

This is a multi-generational journey, meaning the butterflies that make the return trip to Mexico the next winter are several generations removed from the butterfly that started the journey the year before.

Aside from the issues that could arise for farmers if the butterfly makes the Endangered Species list, the butterflies are important for many other reasons. When they feed on nectar they help pollinate wildflowers, which in turn feed other creatures. Monarch butterflies are also an important food source for birds, insects, and even some small mammals.

If we don’t want weeds in our fields but we do want butterflies to survive, what do we do? Many groups propose planting milkweed and other pollinator friendly plants on farms, just not in the fields.

The German chemical company BASF is calling on farmers to help pollinators and the environment by planting flowering nectar sources and plants in non-crop areas of their land this coming Earth Day (April 22). The firm stresses the importance of planting milkweed.

Farmers for Monarchs has several ways farmers can help the monarch:

•Monarch butterflies require milkweed to reproduce and a variety of flowering plants for nectar; enhancements can range from allowing non-cropping areas to flower to establishing plantings from seed

•Identify and maintain existing milkweed stands outside of production areas

•Avoid overspray of habitat with herbicides and insecticides – follow application guidelines when managing weeds and insect pests, and consider field margins as sensitive areas

•Manage roadsides/ditches to promote habitat; plan mowing and any use of herbicides to avoid time periods when monarch eggs and caterpillars are present

There are many websites on the proper way to help increase pollinator habitat and still be mindful of the farm. If you are promoting pollinator habitat on your farm, send an email and photos to connie@farmworldonline.com