In a sentence, it means that Prairie Melody™ Premium Black Oil Sunflower birdseed growers apply no synthetic pesticides, no neonicotinoid seed treatments, and no synthetic fertilizer to the fields producing our birdseed. Prairie Melody™ uses sunflower varieties that are nonGMO. There are no commercial GMO sunflower varieties.
Click here to visit our store for Pesticide Free Prairie Melody™ Premium Black Oil Sunflower birdseed.
Is that important? We think so and we thank you for your interest in this important topic. Why do we think that this is important?
Sunflowers are pollinated by bees. During flowering, our fields are abuzz with bees! Local beekeepers can bring their hives to forage without worry of pesticide application or residue.
Children love to watch birds at feeders. Little hands can easily care for the bird feeders. Parents shouldn’t need to immediately wash their children’s hands because of pesticide residue on the birdseed. The look of joy on the face of a child watching birds at their feeder is priceless and brings nature close.
Birds eat whole seeds. That means any residue is eaten by the birds you are nurturing. Insecticides have been shown to be harmful to birds and the other visitors to your feeder. Neonicotinoids (commonly called Neonics) have been linked to drastic declines in migrating songbird populations.
What about storage and packaging?
Insects love grain in storage. Most birdseed companies use fumigants to kill storage insects which can leave residue on the seeds. Prairie Melody™ carefully cleans our birdseed to remove the fine material and plant residue where insects like to live. If necessary, we can use non-chemical methods that do not leave a residue behind, such as carbon dioxide concentration, to control storage insects.
Some commodity sunflowers have oil applied to make the seeds look shiny. The most common oil used is GMO soybean oil. Prairie Melody™ does not use oil in our packaging.
Thank you for learning more about the mission of Prairie Melody™. If you have any questions or comments, please post them below. It is our commitment to support our growers and our customers in make a positive environmental impact.