Episode Details

Depending on the time of day you're reading this, chances are you have a cup of tea, coffee or glass of wine in hand.  And so you are already relying on pollination, and that's what this episode's all about because without healthy pollinators, so many of the foods and beverages we love simply wouldn't exist.

In the latest episode of The Big Shift for Small Farms Podcast,  we explore how pollination underpins our food system and why its future matters to us all. We visit Bill Shields’ apple orchard in Bilpin to hear about a mysterious event that has left him with virtually no apples on his trees this season.

We'll sit down with Native Bee expert Dr. Tim Heard, who spent his career uncovering the hidden world of Australia's native bee pollinators.

And in the wake of the varroa mite, we also hear from someone who's been on the ground with farmers and beekeepers, learning from their experiences supporting their recovery, and helping chart a path forward for resilient pollination into the future.

Featured in this episodes:

Bill Shields - Apple farmer, Shields Orchard Bilpin (shieldsorchard.com)

Dr. Tim Heard - Australian native stingless bee expert (sugarbag.net)

Emily Noordyke - Project officer, National Varroa Mite Management Program (varroa.org.au)

Produced by Grow Love Project and hosted by NSW Local Land Services. Supported by the Australian Government through funding from the Natural Heritage Trust under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Program. Views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Greater Sydney Local Land Services or the Australian Government.