Up and down California’s Central Valley, farmers are working with Audubon California to create habitat on their properties. It takes extra time and sometimes even requires the sacrifice of potential cropland, for them to provide food and homes for birds and other wildlife.

A Yolo County walnut grower took cuttings from his orchard to build brushpiles that swarm with White- and Golden-Crowned Sparrows all winter, and California Quail year-round. A Merced County farmer who grows blueberries, cherries and walnuts gave up 3 acres of her 75-acre ranch to install a large expanse of native trees and shrubs that feed Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, and Black-headed Grosbeaks. A farmer in Solano County expanded his creekside forest and now supports Swainson’s Hawks, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and various flycatchers. And commonly, we see bird boxes–for Barn Owls, Western Bluebirds, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks—lining farm fields and providing the nest site structure often missing from the farmed landscape.

Today, these activities are carried out for many reasons, most commonly out of an appreciation for wildlife and the desire to support and see more of it. No one does this for profit. But could they? As an Audubon supporter, would you be willing to pay a premium for a cherry, a walnut, or a tomato that you knew was grown by a farmer who also grew birds? Thank you for taking the time to leave your thoughts in the comments below.