 Welcome to an introduction to Biodiverse Farm Ecosystems. Creating a Biodiverse Farm Ecosystem, one that supports microbial, plant, and animal life, is a key farm element part of a sustainable farming system that considers conservation of natural resources, farm economic sustainability, and produce safety. In the next few minutes, you'll hear and see an overview of the elements involved in creating a Biodiverse Farm Ecosystem from a whole farm planning perspective. A Biodiverse Farm Ecosystem brings conservation, food safety, and cost benefits to your farm. Hedros, riparian zones, nesting boxes, and bat boxes are always to encourage biodiversity. Hedros and riparian zones, or natural areas along waterways, provide pollinators a diversity of flowering plants all season long, and provide habitat for wildlife, giving the wildlife a place to be other than in your fields. These areas can also serve as buffers protecting growing areas or water sources used for irrigation from contamination by animal production areas. According to the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, at least 44 species of birds use nesting boxes. In our area, bluebirds, chickadees, flycatchers, nuthatches, warblers, swallows, and wrens will all use songbird houses. Locating birdhouses and perches so that droppings on produce are minimized is critical to maintaining produce safety. Simple mitigation strategies can encourage birds to perch in the right place. Bats are another option that can help reduce pressure from insect and nematode pests. The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service reports that a single little brown bat, the species that most often occupies bat houses, can catch hundreds of mosquitoes an hour. A colony of 150 big brown bats can eat 19 million rootworms a year. Stinkbugs, leafhoppers, and cutworms are among the other pests bats will eat. While the bats catch insects that may cause you trouble, an insectary placed along your farm's edge provides habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects, much like a hedgerow. By carefully creating a biodiverse farm, you can balance the risks of attracting more wildlife to your farm with the benefits that wildlife may bring. The USDA Natural Resource Conservation can provide financial assistance for the implementation of conservation practices through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. NRCS and Extension can provide technical expertise to help with creating a biodiverse farm ecosystem. Introducing Biodiversity. Smart implementation can improve conservation of natural resources while maintaining the safety of produce.