The Environmental Defense Fund wants to reestablish milkweed in the Midwest and they’re talking with farmers about the best way to do that. Milkweed is the preferred food of the Monarch butterfly. The Monarch population is estimated to be down by 95 percent and a shortage of milkweed is said to be one of the chief reasons. EDF staff and scientist just finished up visiting with Nebraska farmers and are heading to Iowa and Minnesota next. The visits are part of an effort to establish a Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange. It’s a conservation initiative in which landowners who create and maintain habitat can get paid for their efforts. Businesses that disrupt habitat can purchase credits, which would create a market dynamic. EDF is currently conducting field tests and pilot programs, aiming to get the exchange up and running by the end of 2017.
