Beneficial insects are the unsung heroes of our farming practices. Silently and out of sight, day or night, they pollinate complex crops and control pest outbreaks we don’t even know are coming. This workshop will be focused on predatory and parasitoid insects and the type of habitats and farming practices that can be utilized to help them flourish. This workshop will be split into two parts. The first part will be a presentation diving deeper into creating spaces and practices to bring native beneficial insects to your farm. The second part will be a more open forum where we can work together to share our experiences with predatory beneficial insects and work through any questions on utilizing bio-controls for your farm’s upcoming season.

About the Speaker: Fianna Dirks has been working as a farmer for the last 11 years focusing on organic growing, on-farm compost production, and beneficial insect habitat creation. When not ogling over the micro universes of soil microbes and insects, they are usually reading Sci-Fi or on the hunt for a sequin outfit.