Johnny Butterflyseed has discovered the secret to Monarch Butterfly Farming!
Fairies!
That’s right, fairies! Fairies are sensitive little creatures that care very deeply about nature.
More than just observers, fairy folk study, in wide-eyed wonder, the relationship between the things they see. They know which flower might feed an insect at any particular time of year. Fairies would further know what a flower might need for it to be happy; maybe the right lighting conditions, or watering schedule. The fairies would also know what mushroom might convert a certain dead tree branch into nutrients a plant can absorb in order to make the best nectar for an insect.
There is no limit to the miraculous detail making up the kaleidoscope of interconnections on the Earth. And, like fairies, humans should learn as much as possible about the relationships between organisms and their environments.
ecology (ĭ-kŏl′ə-jē)
n. The science of the relationships between organisms and their environments.
n. The relationship between organisms and their environment.
It would seem fairies were among the world’s first Ecologists.
But Johnny, what do fairies, or ecology, have to do with farming?
They have everything to do with farming! One cannot successfully grow any kind of crop without understanding the complete ecology; where that crop will grow, what needs to grow with it, how many should grow in any certain area. The study of the interconnections are critical for long-term success of any crop, successful farmers (and fairies) will agree.
Ok, Mr. Butterflyseed, so you're saying we just stick some seeds in the ground, and wait for Monarch Butterflies to magically appear? :highfive:
YES!!! This is exactly where the name “Johnny Butterflyseed” comes from!
As it turns out, Monarch Butterflies can only lay their eggs on a specific sub-family of plants, called Milkweed Plants, in the genus Asclepias.
If you see a Monarch Butterfly zooming around, she may be laying eggs on nearby Milkweed plants. If not, follow her long enough and you will find Milkweed! Don’t have a Monarch to follow? Watch a Milkweed plant long enough and you will see Monarchs! It’s that easy!
So, the secret to Monarch Butterfly Farming is this: if you sow your native Milkweed plants, you will reap Monarch Butterflies.
Complete List of Milkweed Species
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepias