Students and families are encouraged to participate in the second annual Great Georgia Pollinator Census on August 21-22 coordinated by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

A burgeoning interest in the benefits of delicious, local honey and increased concern for pollinator health has led more and more Americans to start keeping their own bees.

For more than two decades, beekeepers from across the Southeast and beyond have come together each spring in the north Georgia mountains to talk bees, learn from each other and hobnob with some of the most renowned bee experts in the world.

Many food items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, would never make it to grocery store or farmers market shelves without the help of beneficial insects like honeybees and butterflies. The number of these pollinating insects in the U.S. is declining, and to help, Georgia agricultural experts developed a statewide plan to teach gardeners and landscapers how to care for their plants and protect these vulnerable insects that are vital to food production.

A workshop focused on attracting and protecting beneficial insects will be offered Wednesday, April 20, from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. in Fayetteville, Georgia, by University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts.

With reports of declining monarch butterfly populations and honeybee deaths, the plight of pollinators and other beneficial insects has been headlining the news for months now.

Georgia’s economy will be on the rise in 2016, fueled by population growth, resurgence of the housing market and major projects across the state, including two new professional sports stadiums planned for metro Atlanta. Georgians can also expect to continue to pay less for a gallon of milk, and for meat producers, exports look encouraging for beef and pork.

Led by increases in forestry and livestock values, Georgia’s agricultural output increased by $484 million in 2014, making agriculture, once again, the largest industry in the state with a value of $14.1 billion. According to the most recent University of Georgia Farmgate Value Report, published earlier this month, the value of Georgia’s livestock and aquaculture industries increased by almost 36 percent from 2013.

Spread it on fresh, fluffy biscuits, stir it into a steamy cup of tea or use it to soothe a sore throat. Honey has been used for a variety of culinary and medicinal applications for centuries, and it’s still in high demand today.