You've likely heard about declining bee populations, but do you know why they are declining? In Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture, Ross Conrad explains that some of the reasons for declining bee populations are pests like tracheal and varroa mites, colony collapse disorder (CCD), and the use of pesticides and other agricultural chemicals. In fact, … [Read more...]
Is it really honey?
A couple of weeks ago, I told you about adulteration and fraud in the olive oil industry. Even though there are laws about labeling olive oil, those laws are not enforced. The situation with honey is even worse. When doing research for the second edition of Homegrown and Handmade, which will include a section on beekeeping, I learned the depressing truth. Basically, if you … [Read more...]
Interview with beekeeper Zan Asha
On Sunday, April 22, we'll be hosting two beekeeping classes with Zan Asha, one of the New York City beekeepers that appeared in the documentary Queen of the Sun. Here is a chance for you to get to know her better and learn a little about beekeeping. If you'd like to join us on April 22, click here to register for the classes on Antiquity Oaks in Cornell, IL. Deborah: How long … [Read more...]
Goals for 2012
Happy New Year! Some smart person once said that if you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up somewhere else. So, it is important to know your goals. After I write down my goals, I start figuring out how to make things happen, which means I make a list of all the things I need to do to reach the goal. Although we've already done a lot on our homestead, there … [Read more...]
