Nowthen Threshing Show and Monarch Butterflies
Nowthen Threshing Show
Can’t be beat
In the Master Gardener Booth
So many people to greet
I’m supposed to answer questions
But I learn more than I teach
Surrounded by seasoned gardeners
Who practice what they preach
My favorite thing
Seeing developing Monarchs
But they’re in danger, like the bees
We need to change our ways now
I’m begging everyone, please
So many tractors and farmers
Traditions and history
From field to our tables
The work is darn right blistery
Always attracted to old things
Shiny chrome or flaking rust
One depicts consistent, loving care
The other, an enduring tough crust
I’ve covered quite a bit here
Not sure if it all fit or not
It’s the challenge of writing bad poetry
A skill that cannot be taught
For more information about Monarch butterflies and how to help them, please visit these websites:
- University of Minnesota Monarch Lab – http://www.monarchlab.org/Default.aspx
- USA Today story and video on Monarch’s population drop: http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/08/22/monarch-butterfly-population/2687621/
- PBS video “The Journey of the Monarch Butterfly” (2009, 52 minutes): http://video.pbs.org/video/1063682334/
If you plant a bee or butterfly garden, be careful about your plant selection. There’s a great deal of disagreement about how much neonicotinoids are effecting bees and butterflies, but why take a chance? The safest way to avoid unwanted pesticides is to buy organic seeds and start your own seedlings. If you buy seedlings, ask if they’ve been treated with pesticides. If nothing else, asking the question will start forcing growers to realize that people are concerned and want untreated plants.
