Noosa’s farm attains Bee Friendly certification

The certification augments the yogurt processor's other honey bee-related initiatives.

Noosa Yoghurt said its Bellvue, Colo.-based farm — where the company’s yogurt products are made — attained Bee Friendly certification this past summer. According to the certification body — the Pollinator Partnership — certification requirements include offering forage that provides good nutrition for bees on 3% to-6% of land; planting a continuous bloom of different flowering plants throughout the growing season; offering clean water for bees; providing a variety of habitats for nesting and mating; and practicing integrated pest management that reduces or eliminates the use of chemicals.

Over the past few years, Noosa has been focused on helping honey bees thrive with a few initiatives and partnerships. The company noted that it incorporates wildflower honey into all of its flavors, meaning that honey bee health is a priority. The company’s honey comes from a Colorado-based fourth-generation bee farmer, Beeyond the Hive.

In 2016, Noosa formed the Blooms for Bees program — a philanthropic initiative in partnership with the Pollinator Partnership. The Pollinator Partnership works to promote the health of pollinators through conservation, education and research. Since then, the company said it has donated $60,000 to the Pollinator Partnership to help honeybees thrive, as well as $5,000 to Beeyond the Hive to help fund research around bee health at Colorado State University.

In addition, Noosa's employees recently participated in a "bee buffer" day at the Noosa farm. The fun and educational event was designed to show how Noosa cares about bee pollination and to highlight the company’s philanthropic efforts here, the company said. The bee buffers are small plots of land dedicated to honey bee health that Noosa planted in 2017.