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Planting with a purpose: An interview with Vince Ste. Marie

by Claire Pajka

As I browsed the Water Resources Washtenaw County website for farms and resources where the public can buy native plants, I stumbled across a native nursery right here in the Manchester area. I interviewed Vince Ste. Marie, owner of Windy Rock Farm and Plants with Purpose over email here:

“When was Windy Rock Farm established?”

“Our family moved to the Manchester area in 2002 and shortly thereafter began the gradual process of establishing and developing Windy Rock Farm. The pollinator nursery,��Plants with Purpose,��was added in 2016.”

“Has Windy Rock Farm always been centered around Michigan native plants, or did that focus come later?”��

“Before 2016, we had already been keeping bees and were amazed to learn how important trees are to the survival of honey bees and other pollinators.��With some mentoring and help from another beekeeper who is also an experienced arborist and nurseryman, we launched the nursery, starting with just a small variety of flowering trees and shrubs.��As our knowledge and experience grew, as well as our understanding of what customers were interested in planting, we expanded the tree and shrub offerings and added perennial wildflowers to our line-up.��We currently offer over 30 different pollinator friendly perennials and more than 20 kinds of flowering shrubs and trees. As we added the wildflowers, we also became aware of the advantages of selecting Michigan native varieties. Though we do offer a few select non-Michigan native plants, the overwhelming majority are Michigan natives.”��

“What are the advantages of having native plant varieties? Are they only beneficial for the pollinators?”

“Michigan native plants are best suited for Michigan weather patterns and soil types. As well, they are perfectly designed to meet the needs of Michigan pollinators. Though there are exceptions, generally speaking, commercially available cultivars, hybrids and other non-native plants offer little benefit to native pollinators. Michigan natives also offer advantages for property owners as well in that they are generally care free and well-behaved. By that, I mean supplemental watering beyond initial establishment is rarely needed, there is no need for added fertilizers and with a few exceptions, they don’t aggressively expand beyond their initial growing area.”��

“Why is it important to create habitats for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds?”

“Michigan is blessed to be home to an amazing array of pollinators, including over 450 native bees species, more than 150 butterfly and skipper species, 18 bumblebee species and one hummingbird, amongst other pollinators. Pollinators in general, but particularly butterflies, have suffered well-documented substantial declines in both absolute numbers, as well as species diversity in areas where they were previously present.”

“Can you give an example of the decline in pollinator populations?”

“The results of a 20 year systematic study of population trends for 81 butterfly species in Ohio were published in July 2019 by entomologist Tyson Wepprich, PhD and colleagues.��They documented average annualized reductions of 2%, with a total 33% reduction in butterfly abundance over the study period with three times as many butterfly species experiencing negative population trends as compared to those with positive trends.��These results mirror those of similar assessments performed in Europe.

Closer to home, Michigan State University entomologist Thomas Wood, PhD and colleagues recently published results of an extensive population trend study of Michigan 18 bumblebee species. Dr. Wood team documented significant declines in population density and range of at least six bumblebee species, including the extirpation (no longer present) of one, the Rusty-patched Bumblebee. Paradoxically, another six species showed stable, or even increasing numbers and/or expansion of range in Michigan. On a broader scale, declines in North American bumble bee species have also been reported in Southern Ontario, Illinois, Arkansas, Oklahoma and across the northeastern US.”

“Are “kept” bees facing the same declines as “wild” bees?”

“Honey bee populations must be considered in two groups – ‘wild’ or feral bees, and ‘managed’ bees kept by beekeepers. The entire North American population of feral bees is a mere fraction of what it once was, due almost entirely to the impacts of two non-native parasitic mites, first Tracheal Mites and then Varroa Mites. Most readers will be surprised to read that, according to official US Department of Agriculture records, the number of managed honey bee colonies in the US has been relatively stable since the late 1970s and is actually increasing on a global scale. That said, managing honey bees is much harder today, due primarily to Varroa Mites and various viruses the mites vector, than it was up through the late 1980s.”

“So we’re seeing overall declines in pollinators. Why is that?”

“The reasons for pollinator declines are many including diseases and parasitic and other pests, inappropriate use of herbicides, pesticides and fungicides and habitat loss.��The loss of abundant, high quality pollinator forage and host plants due to herbicides and direct land-use changes have had the greatest impact.”

“What is meant by ‘high quality forage’ and ‘host plants’?”

“Though individually very small organisms, pollinating insects on the whole have very large nutritional needs. The rearing of young bees in the spring requires access to quality pollen sources, largely provided by early spring blooming trees and shrubs. As the year moves on, pollinators also require increasing access to nectar, their sole carbohydrate – or energy – source, which is provided by flowering trees, shrubs and wildflowers. If these plants are not present – live trees cut down, flowering shrubs cleared, open areas where perennial wildflowers once grew mowed down or converted to other land uses – that food is not present to support the survival of those pollinators.

Furthermore, butterflies require ‘host-plants’ to lay their eggs on. The eggs hatch and the developing young caterpillars need these plants to feed upon to complete their development into the next generation of butterflies. Many butterflies are host-plant generalists which can lay their eggs on a wide variety of plants and the caterpillars will do just fine. Others, like the Michigan native and endangered Karner Blue Butterfly are host-specific. If the exact plant species, in the case of Karner Blues this would be Wild Lupine, is not available, the butterfly cannot successfully complete its life-cycle and population declines, or even extinction, looms around the corner.”

“I want to do my part and help pollinators, but what can I do?”

“Most of us cannot do anything about non-native opportunistic pests and diseases. For those who use herbicides, pesticides or fungicides – using them responsibly and according to approved labeling, as well as applying them when pollinators are not flying (early morning or late evening) and on days with calm winds to minimize drift – are all steps that can be taken to protect pollinators from chemical contact. We all need homes to live in and places to purchase goods and services and we all most certainly benefit from the food hard-working and under-appreciated farmers produce, so changing land use patterns can be complicated issues to manage.

There is one thing we can ALL do – plant! Whether on a small scale, like a backyard butterfly garden, or on a large scale like adding buffer strips along cultivated field edges and intentionally drilling native plant seeds – EVERYONE can plant pollinator-friendly plants. Though mass-plantings will have the greatest impact, every small pollinator garden plot helps. Don’t have room for a garden? Plant a pollinator friendly flowering shrub or even a tree. I’ve heard it put this way – ‘a pair of mature Basswood trees can produce as much nectar as an entire acre of clover … which do you have room for in your yard?’.”��

“Is Windy Rock Farm currently open for the public to buy native plants?”

“Windy Rock Farm is open to the public throughout the entire planting season – roughly April through November.��As this is also our home farm, not a brick-and-mortar store, we prefer a phone call (734.223.3242) or e-mail (vjste.marie@sbcglobal.net) in advance.��Generally, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the best days to come.”��

“Are customers able to shop in a socially distanced manner?”

“Our nursery is well organized, neat and completely ‘open-air’ so shoppers can come and browse at their own pace with a lot of space around them.��If they wish, customers can stay socially-distanced, select their plants, and we can take them to their vehicle for them.��We are happy to answer questions and provide added information to help in plant selection.��We also have full-color informational binders available with plant and bloom photos and growing information specific to the plants we offer so customers can get a sense of what their potted plant will look like all grown up.��A��Plants with Purpose��brochure/plant listing is available by request at the aforementioned e-mail.”

“Any final thoughts about Windy Rock Farm you’d like the public to know?”

“I have provided live PowerPoint presentations regarding planting for pollinators at bee club meetings and conferences, nature centers, community planting events and for Master Gardener groups across the area. I am happy to work with educators and others in the community interested in hosting live events aimed at increasing awareness of Michigan pollinators and what we can all do to help them survive and thrive.��We also offer the option of bringing a selection of plants for sale to these types of events to make it easier for those interested in purchasing��Plants with Purpose��following a pollinator plant presentation.”

by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and a founder of the Manchester Mirror.