They buzz, they fly, and sometimes their beauty amazes us.

Agriculture experts say bees, butterflies and other critters that pollinate plants have a more positive affect on our lives than what most people might think.

With this in mind, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a set of stamps commemorating National Pollinator’s Week that ended Saturday. The stamps were offered for the first time at the Ironton Post Office on Friday.

To mark the event, members of the Farm Bureau and Ohio State Beekeeper’s Association hosted a “Pollinator’s Brunch Break” and served fruit, muffins and fruit juice. The spread on the table repeatedly caught the eyes and noses of postal patrons— and that the point: The idea was to make people stop and think about the importance of farming and the role birds, bats, bees and other insects play in keeping the food supply going

“This is our way of promoting farming and keeping information about farming out there for the public,” Ohio Farm Bureau trustee Joyce Payne said. Payne and Sue Benning, who is a member of the beekeeper’s association and Margaret Reid, who is both a beekeeper and president-elect of the Lawrence County Farm Bureau prepared the food and offered information about the stamps. In a nod to the asthetic contribution of pollinators, members of the Lawrence County Master Gardener’s, The Rock Hill Garden Club and the Copperhead 4-H Club provided the table arrangements.

Ironton Postmaster David Manring said the stamps are already a hit.

“When we opened this (Friday) morning, at 8:30 the first customer we had asked about the stamps,” he said.

Reid said she hoped the stamps and the Friday breakfast would encourage people to consider the environment and the role each living being plays in it, for good or for ill.

“It all ties together,” Reid said. “It’s not farmers over here and homeowners over there. It’s all tied together. We need to all pay attention to the role pollinators play whether it’s the food supply or lawns and gardens. Everyone’s actions impact the whole environment and this is something we all need to realize. We’re all on this earth together.”