Firestone Pacific Foods
Restoring Ecosystems and Building Resilience in Blueberry Crops
The Situation
Rooted in land stewardship for over 100 years, Firestone Pacific Foods continues to prioritize sustainable agricultural practices. Our mission is to deliver frozen fruit of exceptional taste and nutrition, while nurturing the ecosystems and individuals who make this possible. Supporting native pollinators is an important priority in meeting this vision since over one-third of the world’s food crops rely on pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, birds, bats, and beetles. Yet many species face serious threats. As noted by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, “loss of habitat, exposure to pesticides, and spread of diseases are causing significant declines.”
The Solution
In order to reduce the threats facing pollinators and also benefit from more climate-resilient native species versus the rented services of non-native honeybees, Firestone Pacific Foods is committed to proudly sourcing fruit from AC Foods farms that are Bee Better certified* as well as Certified Sustainably Grown. With assistance from the Xerces Society, Firestone has developed Bee Better Certification plans for its farms to ensure native bees and other beneficial insects have access to a consistent supply of nectar and pollen and appropriate habitat to thrive year-round.
Our journey towards a native pollinator focused strategy began in 2014 with the planting of our flagship Halls Ferry Farm in Independence Oregon. Integrated with 600 acres of blueberries are 50 acres of developed native habitat, including a 5-mile hedgerow running the length of the farm and numerous native habitat blocks that provide pollinators with prime locations to thrive. In partnership with the Northwest Berry Foundation and based on work done by their filed biologists, we have documented populations of both native pollinators and predatory insects increase by 4x across border habitats, cropland and developed habitat. These beneficial insects provide crucial services such as pollination and natural pest suppression that help produce more higher-quality blueberries per acre and add an element of resilience to the farm.
Most recently in 2023 at our 80-acre farm in the Vancouver Lake Lowlands, we installed two hedgerows, one of which contains 396 native flowering perennial plants on approximately one-half acre. The Northwest Berry Foundation set up a monitoring plan to establish a baseline of beneficial insect counts. A next step will be to seed wildflowers on at least an additional one-third acre parcel. Firestone will also establish temporary habitat containing early-blooming flowers on at least 1.75 acres between rows of blackberries.
We further minimize our use of chemical inputs with Integrated Pest Management, and are driving continuous improvement to reduce our ecological footprint through Global Good Agricultural Practices (Global GAP).
On the farms in Oregon, we have seen a 45% annual growth rate in the wild pollinator presence since 2016 and 66% more wild pollinator activity.
The Impact
Approximately three-quarters of our acres are Bee Better certified. On the farms in Oregon, we have seen a 45% annual growth rate in the wild pollinator presence since 2016 and 66% more wild pollinator activity. Planting native wild pollinator habitat brings measureable benefit to our blueberries, including heavier fruitset, larger berries, and a likely range of 4 – 11% yield benefit. In addition, cultivating healthy wild bee populations reduces the farm’s reliance on rented honeybees. More broadly, our efforts to support native pollinators restores ecosystems, with expected increases in the soil’s organic matter improving our ability to adapt as the climate changes.
*Bee Better Certification is a Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation standard that partners with farmers and food companies to conserve bees and other pollinators in agricultural lands. Certification means that producers create pollinator habitat through planting native pollinator plants and by using best management practices to protect pollinators from pesticides.
On the farms in Oregon, we have seen a 45% annual growth rate in the wild pollinator presence since 2016 and 66% more wild pollinator activity.