We started our Bee journey in 2015 with 1 hive and the desire to Bee Good Stewards of our land. There have been challenges along the way along with many blessings. As of 2018, we have 5 hives going strong and producing some of the best honey we have tasted. This year we have started infusing some of our honey with Turmeric for additional health benefits. Our Butterfly Weigh Station is right beside our Hives. The bees and the butterflies both like the same pollinator plants. We continue to add more pollinator flowers every year. This year we added Purple coneflowers and Cosmos.
We talk about Bees anytime anyone asks us and want to continue to share and inform about the importance of Bees to our very existence. This year we were asked to speak to several classes at Lake Land College about the impact of the Bees on our surroundings. We were very pleased with the amount of enthusiasm the students showed and the terrific questions that were asked.
One of the many projects that I enjoy doing is using beeswax in the products that are made here on the farm. We are currently adding them to the website store and by Spring 2019 we hope to have “Simply Bee” farm store open to our guests and the general public.
Bee Hive removal is another project that we did this year. A couple of our neighbors had bees in places they did want them in and we rehomed them successfully to our hives.
The 2 main factors for the Bees dying off are loss of habitat and pesticides. Here on the farm we do not use any chemicals or pesticides and continue to naturalize our acreage to provide a habitat for the Butterflies and Bees. We have also worked with our local road crew to not mow or spray the ditch line in front of our farm.
Here are some interesting facts about Bees:
- They can fly at speeds of up to 25 km per hour and beat their wings 200 times per second.
- The average worker bee lives for 5 to 6 weeks and will produce a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.
- The queen can lay up to 2500 eggs a day.
Honey Health Benefits, These are just a few:
- Helps with Allergies
- Headaches
- Boosts Energy
- Coughs
- Stabilizes Blood Pressure
- Calms Nerves
- Anti-Inflammatory
- Digestive Health
Honey is rich in these vitamins and minerals: Vitamin B6, Calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, riboflavin. It is these vitamins and minerals plus the natural inclusion of water that makes honey 82% sugar by weight, while sugar is 99.9%. This is why honey is alright for diabetics (my mom who is diabetic uses honey as a natural sweetener).
