CONTACT: Kelly Rourke, P2 Director of Programs and Operations
(415) 362-1137; kr[at]pollinator.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19, 2021

NACD, P2 RECOGNIZE OREGON

BROTHERS AS POLLINATOR

CONSERVATION ADVOCATES

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and the Pollinator Partnership (P2) announced Dan and Michael O’Loughlin of O’Loughlin Farms as the winners of the 2021 U.S. Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award.

The award, which recognizes individuals and families in the farm and ranch community who contribute significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation, was awarded by NACD CEO Jeremy Peters during the 2021 North American Pollinator Protection Campaign International Conference.

“Dan and Michael partner with their local district, Yamhill County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), on a number of endeavors, including establishing a 1/3-mile-long beetle bank and testing seed mixes,” Peters said. “Their commitment to pollinators through establishing habitat and conducting natural pest control is a commitment to enhanced biodiversity and, ultimately, better ecosystems within their fields.”

O’Loughlin Farms is a 200-acre operation that primarily grows tall fescue seed. In addition to their considerable pollinator-related activities, the brothers conduct community outreach in a barn on their property, which they converted into a classroom that can fit up to 100 people.

“Dan and Michael are committed not only to establishing pollinator habitat, but to conducting pollinator education and outreach,” P2 Executive Director Kelly Rourke said. “From youth to gardeners, SWCDs to growers, the O’Loughlin brothers work to amplify the importance of pollinator conservation.”

The O’Loughlins have participated in the Oregon Bee Atlas, created pollinator habitat at schools through the State School Garden Network, and serve as leaders in the State Pollinator Protection Initiative, the Oregon Bee Project.

For information on how to nominate a pollinator conservation-minded farmer or rancher for the 2022 award, visit www.pollinator.org/awards.

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About the National Association of Conservation Districts:
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state and territory associations and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit: www.nacdnet.org.

About the Pollinator Partnership:

Pollinator Partnership is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and the largest in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems. The Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. Signature initiatives include the NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign), S.H.A.R.E., National Pollinator Week, and the Ecoregional Planting Guides.