Beakuency welcomes Kevin Clark and Dallas Houston of Rose Hill Farm, a family-owned pick-your-own apple orchard in Red Hook, NY. Rose Hill Farm takes the entirety of the property and its surrounding community into account when making decisions, and approaches the orchard as a complex ecosystem where every element is interconnected. To them, birds are indicators of ecological health that provide “eyes out in the orchard.”

They discuss their approaches at the farm and their work with the Farmer Ecologist Research Circle, an initiative of the Hudson Valley Farm Hub and the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program, which studies and acts on topics related to on-farm ecology. They share how this collaboration has deepened their understanding of the bird, plant, and insect species present and helps them track changes in biodiversity over time so they can adjust their practices. Their insights help us see how, through collaboration and community, we can move away from a mindset of conflict, let go of the need for total control, and move toward integration and a reciprocal relationship with the world around us.

Rose Hill Farm website

Farmer Ecologist Research Circle website

Research Circle’s Mapping Flowers, Watching Bugs, & Building Habitat: Rose Hill Farm Report

The Birds of Rose Hill, a report blog post by Will Yandik

Eco-certification

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Principles (EPA website)

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Hosted by Mayuko Fujino, "Beakuency" invites the local community to be inspired by the joy, beauty, and wisdom bird enthusiasts find in the nature of our neighborhoods. Every episode features an interview with local bird people, plus a freeform mix of sound made by birds and humans inspired by birds.

Read the interview transcripts and see more photos at beakuency.substack.com.

mayukofujino.com