Maple Grove Farmers Market Vendor Seeks To Boost Monarch Butterfly Population
The Maple Grove Farmers Market lures shoppers each Thursday during the summer with fresh produce and specialty baked goods.
But at Rebecca Mauriala-Kuehn’s booth, you’ll find something a little more unusual than your typical farmers market fare.
Mauriala-Kuehn’s been selling monarch caterpillars here for more than 15 years with her business Butterfly Memories.
“I brought 87 here today,” said Mauriala-Kuehn when CCX News stopped by. “Once in a while I bring a few home, but I usually sell out each time I come.”
Buyer beware: these yellow, black and white creatures won’t stay that way or color for long.
“He’s going to eat for a day or two and then he’s go up and hang like the letter ‘J’ from the top,” said Mauriala-Kuehn. “He’ll hang like that for 12 hours and then he turns into a chrysalis.”
Monarch caterpillars for sale at the Maple Grove Farmers Market.
Parker Laube is excited to see his caterpillar transform.
“They look cool and fun,” said Laube.
Return customer Kathy Brown bought four.
“I come back because my kids and I watch them grow and it’s just amazing to watch the process,” said Brown.
These purchases aren’t meant to keep forever.
Mauriala-Kuehn said once the caterpillar becomes a butterfly, it’s time to put them into the wild, where they are needed.
“I do it since the monarchs are in such short supply. This is the worst year I’ve seen as far as population,” said Mauriala-Kuehn. “I hope it was just because we had a cold spring.”
With each caterpillar raised, sold and set free as a butterfly, Mauriala-Kuehn said the hope for their future and ours grows.
“They’re magnificent creatures and they are a pollinator, you know, the health of the pollinator goes right along with the health of the bees and everything else we need to produce food and for sustainability,” said Mauriala-Kuehn.
Butterfly Memories sells butterfly kits for $10 a piece.
The business takes pre-orders, so you can have one waiting for you when you arrive at the Maple Grove Farmers Market.
