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The National Association of Conservation Districts and Pollinator Partnership presented Jim Croskey of Dalroy Farms in Holmes County with the 2020 Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award in October.

The award was presented to Croskey and his family during the 20th annual North American Pollinator Protection Campaign meeting.

“Jim Croskey and his family are a testament to holistic stewardship,” said NACD CEO Jeremy Peters. “They work hand-in-hand with the Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District to make knowledgeable decisions about their operation in order to improve their soil health and water quality, while providing much-needed habitat for our hardworking pollinators.”

Dalroy Farms is a multigenerational dairy farm that also maintains several hundred acres of hay and cropland.

In recent years, Croskey has identified sites on the operation to add honey bee hives, establishing more than 20 since spring 2018.

“Not only are pollinators a passion of Jim’s, but he’s also recruited his whole family, down to his 5-year-old grandson, to become engaged in caring for honey bees,” said Pollinator Partnership President and CEO Laurie Davies Adams. “The family is committed to educating others on the many benefits of pollinators, actively advocating in their local communities for them to become pollinator advocates as well.”

Dalroy Farms has been no-till for decades and utilizes cover crops – largely clover stands – to improve their soil health, as chopped forage for their cows, and as fodder for the honey bees. Through the use of these conservation practices, Croskey has been able to reduce pesticide usage, committing to timing his applications to minimize the effects on local pollinators.

The Croskeys are Farm Bureau members in Holmes County.