Become Bee Friendly Farming Certified

The Bee Friendly Farming (BFF) program from Pollinator Partnership (P2) aims to recognize, engage, and support BFF participants and pollinators everywhere.

The BFF program has three categories that allow them to engage with all participants on a finer scale while addressing their goals: Bee Friendly Farming Certified, Bee Friendly Farming Partner, and Bee Friendly Farming Garden. 

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Bee Friendly Farming Certified

The Bee Friendly Farming Certified designation will apply to large-scale commercial farms, ranches, wineries, and other land-use businesses that grow food and other resources. This certification will require compliance at registration and every third year to be validated in the seven specific criteria required to qualify. 

• READ MORE: U.S. creates pollinator conservation center

“From habitat to cover crops to best management practices, the Bee Friendly Farming Certified mark will identify farms engaged in science-based Bee Friendly Farming practices,” BFF Coordinator Miles Dakin says. “This enables us to enhance grower and pollinator benefits through greater engagement in nutrition, habitat, biodiversity, and other guidelines.”

Bee Friendly Farming Partner

Bee Friendly Farming Partner includes sponsorship from individuals and companies, as well as apiarists, who do not actively manage their own landscapes but wish to support the BFF program. Multiple tiers of sponsorships are available to provide the resources necessary to build and maintain the BFF program.

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Bee Friendly Farming Garden

The third category of recognition, Bee Friendly Farming Garden, includes smaller landscapes, community gardens, and homeowners who voluntarily adhere to the seven criteria of Bee Friendly Farming actions. By separating and reorganizing these distinct members, BFF can better recognize the different contributions by farmers, apiarists, home gardeners, community members, and commercial sponsors to support vital pollinators. 

• WATCH VIDEO: Pollinator garden

“After conversations with long-standing participants, environmental groups, grower associations, and sponsors, we saw a clear need to further refine the BFF experience and to add a level of scrutiny and permanence to the certification aspects of Bee Friendly Farming,” Laurie Davies Adams, president of Pollinator Partnership, parent organization of Bee Friendly Farming, says. “This new trilevel approach will still recognize existing affiliates as BFF Partners, while taking a great step forward for the dedicated agricultural community that seeks rigorous and validated certification of its adherence to best practices for pollinators. In all instances, BFF will provide excellent guidelines for all levels of BFF practitioners.”

The three categories have slightly different criteria and benefits.

Visit beefriendlyfarming.org for more information on Bee Friendly Farming and to learn how you can participate.