Florida Crystals expanding owl program from 850 nesting boxes to more than 2,000.
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EAA – Florida Crystals Corporation celebrated International Owl Awareness Day on Aug. 4 by announcing a major expansion to its barn owl box network – already the largest in the world – to naturally protect its South Florida farms and promote biodiversity.
The barn owl program, in which sturdy nesting boxes are constructed on 10-foot platforms to provide habitat for native barn owls, is an innovative example of Florida Crystals’ regenerative farming practices that are helping in its mission to promote biodiversity and reduce synthetic chemicals on its farms in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA). Florida Crystals is expanding the network from 850 nesting boxes to 2,035.
In 2016, Florida Crystals’ Research and Development team reinvigorated the program, replacing all of the boxes with a sturdier composite material and a modern design with a perch. The new boxes were installed first to protect Florida Crystals’ organic farm, the largest in Florida and the only organic sugarcane farm in the United States.
The improved design proved highly effective, tolerating Florida’s weather and insect pressure, and provided a safer habitat for the owls. Florida Crystals quickly expanded the new design across its 194,500 acres of farmland, which directly resulted in the elimination of rodenticide by 2020.
“This is an incredibly important program, especially for Florida Crystals, as an organic farmer,” said Luzuriaga. “Three of our regenerative agriculture priority goals are to protect our soils, upcycle our byproducts and promote biodiversity on our farms. This type of low-impact farming, where we are integrating nature into our practices, is the future of sustainable farming.”
Read more here.