Traditions & Changes

December 2005

traditions & changes

looking north Morses Line, Vermont & Quebec

Our first honey house was in the international village of Morses Line, Vermont & Quebec. On the right of the road is the old Richard Brothers Apiary that we moved into. The second building on the right is the Bucket-of-Blood bar, with the Vermont-Quebec border in the middle of the bar. In the Prohibition, the customers would move north to Canadian side for liquor the name of the bar and remnants of glass in the back yard attested to some of action in this building. The buildings on the left are all in Quebec. The forage for the bees was abundant, and they were independent of any boundary or business there.

If you draw a line from the United States north into Canada, the further north you go, the more honey the bees generally make each season. Our first honey house was as far north as one could go in the United States, in Morses Line, Vermont, north of the US Customs office and hugging the Quebec border. The flowers from the dairy farming community on both sides of the international line supported our bees as they gathered nectar, pollen, and propolis. The two Richard Brothers had kept bees here for years, and we continued that tradition, working with a peak of around 180 colonies of bees in Franklin Country, Vermont.

This is a bi-lingual community the language would gracefully move in out of French and English throughout the day. There is an innocence that is so pure here I remember going to a baseball game in Montreal with one of the neighbor children, and he remarked that the buildings were taller than his silos. The farms here are a sacred space, and are passed down from generation to generation in families that carry their traditions forward in time. We began here with a two seater outhouse, a mortgage of $130/month and a huge, sacred poplar tree in the front yard that gave propolis to the bees (seen as a smaller tree in this picture, on the right of the road.)

Our bees are all wrapped for the winter now. They are stronger than they were 12 months ago, with many more bees of the Russian, mite-resistant stock than we have ever seen. For years we have wrapped them, and when the last yard is completed, there is a peace that settles over the honey house. The hard working bees are insulated from the cold winds, snow and rain. With more than 30 bee yard locations, the wrapping takes weeks and is a rhythm of fall moving into winter that invariably ends with time outside in the snow in a polar environment. This year we started to bring four bee hives tight together, and wrap them in a cluster so that they may share their heat and move through the winter as stronger families. These changes convey and air of hope and promise to the bees.

We are continuing to work with our bees with organic policies. It is expected that at least 30% of the colonies may pass on this winter, and from the stronger survivors we will raise more queens, with the genetics of the Russian bees providing mite resistance. We will not use any chemical medicines to artificially allow the weaker colonies to live. Our organic procedures will protect our Apitherapy raw honey and our traditional plant medicines made with this honey. We feel that every action that we move through regarding the bees is transmitted into the integrity, medicinal and food value of our honey and plant medicines.

There is a new snow today covering the honey house and the fields around here. The snow is welcome as it will insulate the nectar plants, bring water and nitrogen to these plants, and remind us to get our cross country skiis and skates out of storage. As we wind down this season and anticipate the holidays, we reflect on the years of the rhythms of traditions of working with the bees. So much is old, and also so much is new as we learn more about how to have a relationship with the bees that are facing so many environmental challenges. .

About 40% of what you eat depends on pollination by insects, much of this by honey bees. With the decline in bees, gardeners and farmers have been noticing less crops honey bees are the “canaries in the coal mine”, and they have helped us be more aware of changes in our environment. We are grateful to be sharing the traditions of beekeeping and plant medicines with all of you and send you our best and the end of the agricultural season and beginning of new seasons.

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I envision Honey Gardens as a string of partnerships across the land, with our most honorable market, those who work in stores, you who provide the demos at stores in the grassroots of education, the herbalists and scientists who we ask for help, the organic farmers we partner with and adore, our faithful business partners & suppliers ~ thank you. Our Honey House Propolis Salve is solely the creation of Tim, with some of his words below. Todd

First of all, thank you to the myriad strands of life's web for the gifts of medicine bestowed to us along with the responsibility to share and rejuvinate these connections. We are constantly amazed by the work of the bees and the apothecary of medicine they produce. Raw honey has been used for thousands of years as a food and topically as treatment for burns and wounds. Honey is hydroscopic, drawing moisture from the environment, effectively incapacitating infectious bacteria. It has an acidic pH which further dissuades microbial colonization and has been found to contain inhibine which is akin to hydrogen peroxide. Honey also coats exposed, irritated nerve endings inhibiting oxidation, thus relieving pain. The bees make propolis by combining resins (from poplars and conifers), beeswax, and pollen. Propolis (bee-glue) strengthens waterproofs and sterilizes the hive. Propolis is antibiotic, antiseptic, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic (numbing pain). At Honey Gardens, we were inspired to combine raw honey, propolis, and beeswax with olive oil infusions of comfrey root, calendula flowers, and plantain leaves. Comfrey root knits wounds together, promotes cell repair, and heals burns. Calendula flowers sooth inflamed tissues, burns, and stimulate healing of wounds. Plantain leaves are astringent drawing infections to the surface, promoting healing of injuries. Each herb also helps stop bleeding. The propolis acts as a resinous bandage, protecting the wound. Apply Honey House propolis salve to burns, wounds, bruises, swellings, stings and damaged/dry skin.

a relationship with the bees and plants

Fall 2005

a relationship with the bees and plants

I have found that when dealing with nature, if one is to adopt a faithful mentality, the wild forces drive what is needed to those places of wanting. For a year I had the desire to know my own bees and to have a colony to watch collect nectar. All of this came about in the early summer of this year. Todd and I were eating breakfast outside at the honey house before a day’s work. He had left to retrieve the oatmeal as my head seemed to clear with a buzz in the air. When I recognized the flying noise, I dismissed it for the usual noises of a honey farm. I began to notice a cloud of sweet insects scouting around before the larger wave of bees encapsulated me. I sat quietly, still, and somewhat cautious as I did not understand what was happening. I felt in the center of a living, breathing organism it was a fragile and potent creature that surrounded me. I was being sheltered by a mass of over 10,000 bees. Todd came out with the oatmeal, hands stretched out in amazement, exclaiming as he joined me in nature’s embrace, “Joe, this is a swarm! We’re in a swarm.” He showed me how gentle they were by walking though them. We found that they were making their new home in some old beeswax frames. They were a mass of pollinators looking for a dark place, furnished with the remnants of their past generations. “See how gentle they are”, Todd said, as he gave them frames of young bees from an established colony nearby in order to in sure that the swarm would stay in their new home. We watched them for while in silence, without any bee veils or a smoker.

“These bees have come to you, Joe”, Todd took on a prophetic tone, “we have talked about this, and I think it is time they have come to be with you.” He asked me if I wanted to accept the colony as my own. I looked at him, then back at the bees and gave the nod of a child in agreement.

The bees are now working at their own pace, on nature’s calendar in Monkton, Vermont. We brought them there to my high school, the Walden Project, in hopes of sharing these creatures with my peers.

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Burdock is a rank weed to many people. I know lots of gardeners and farmers and dog owners who curse the spread of their burrs. Yet in China and Japan burdock is revered in cooking, blending into the combination of food and medicine. Among herbalists the plant is known for its medicinal power of supporting the liver and cleansing the blood. At Honey Gardens we use organic burdock in our Rejuvenation Tonic. It seems that fighting this plant would be exhausting and trying to control the burrs would prove relentless. Several years ago on a beautiful afternoon in early September I was hanging out with this burdock plant up in Elmore. I took one of the brown burrs and opened it up and counted the seeds. I counted 70 seeds in one burr and 249 burrs on one plant for a total potential of 17,430 seeds on one plant ! I was in awe. I was in awe. That is quite a will to survive. Anything with a life force that profound I want to know it, to be around it, nourish myself with it, to learn from it, and to have it part of my daily life.

The gifts from plants and nature are sacred and require honor and celebration. Plants can teach us many lessons that life in our present day culture cannot. We can learn a lot from listening to their expressions and observing their marvelous beauty. In this journey with plants I learn how to open my heart and quietly listen. I learn when I am too attached to my version or expectations of an outcome. How to sit in quite beauty. How to ask myself what is really important in this life. Whether it is the generous gift of medicine in the root or the fruit, the stunning color of a flower, or the nectar and pollen that clings to the bees, plants teach us to celebrate the moment, the gift of life we hold in our hands.

The journey is together and the dynamic forces of life are always changing. I get a delicious feeling of vitality in early summer when the dandelions release their seeds on the wind and the sky seems to fill with a light snow. There goes next year’s medicine and glorious yellow flower. Where will they land?

rhythms of healing

September 2005

rhythms of healing

Carol harvesting the inner bark of the cherry tree.
These limbs were too small for lumber.

Last week Tim and I drove north about 30 minutes to Fairfax VT, home of the Vermont Food Venture Center. The VFVC is a non-profit shared-use kitchen for local producers to create their products. There is an entrepreneurial spirit in this area which keeps the kitchens busy. We use the industrial-sized mixers, kettles and bottlers to produce our line of plant medicines. Our mission this time was to make our Wild Cherry Syrup, as the weather cools and demand picks up for relief from colds and flu. As we drive, we notice the leaves are starting to brown a bit. Besides predicting how cold the winter will be, figuring when and how much the leaves will turn is a favorite pastime of Vermonters, old and new. The hot and relatively dry weather up until a couple of weeks ago has turned some of the leaves brown before they could redden.

We unload hundreds of pounds of raw honey, and empty glass bottles, and set up the room to begin mixing. First the honey, then propolis extract is turned into the honey with large stainless steel paddles. It reminds me of the last kayaking trip of the summer. Propolis is a resin gathered by the bees from trees and used in the hive to create a hygienic environment. We use it for the same purpose in our bodies, to fight off bacteria and viruses. Next in is the organic apple cider vinegar. It is a general health tonic, and especially supportive of the respiratory system in fighting off colds and flu. Last into the kettle are the extracts of wild cherry bark, elecampane and ginger roots, rose hips, licorice and slippery elm bark. These herbs help to expel mucus from the lungs and sinuses, sooth our respiratory tracts, and boost immunity. We continue to paddle. Once the mixture is in bottles, we use droppers to add essential oils of lemon, peppermint and eucalyptus. We do this to each bottle individually right before capping so that the oils are not lost to volatilization. As we rhythmically drop the final medicine in to each bottle the conversation between Tim and me turns to healing, and how we can improve our own health by quieting our minds.

We clean up, pack up and head back to the honey house to unload. As we pass the drying wildflowers along the road, I think of what a beautiful summer it has been. “This summer was so hot, I bet the winter is going to be brutal”, I say. Tim agrees, “The earth gave us a great bounty so that we could make it through until the spring.” Indeed. I will think of those hot days during the long nights of winter.

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My path as an aspiring herbalist has brought me to the Honey Garden's family in time to join in the fall harvest. As the bees work to build up a secure winter cache, we work hard beside them, insuring their winter survival while also gathering honey. When I first arrived, I had been diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease, received from a deer tick while in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. With my energy low and joints stiff, work on some days was quite painful. At Honey Gardens, I soon became aware of the historical treatment called Bee Venom Therapy, where bee stings on varying pressure points and meridians of the body can help to remedy ailments such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid, Lyme’s Disease, and cancer. After being stung for several weeks now, I feel a dramatic increase in life energy and decrease in stiffness in my joints.

Bob in a field of goldenrod at a bee yard in Hinesburg, VT

Some believe that the bees have a divine way of stinging you where it is needed the most. This has been my experience. On a two-day trip last week to gather honey, I received a great deal of stings. One memorable sting was when a bee crawled inside my boot and stung my inner ankle, on an acupuncture point where I have been receiving bee venom therapy, known as spleen six.

I truly have been blessed by working with the bees, not only learning more about them and their sweet gifts, but also the strong healing qualities they share with us.

For more on bee venom therapy, see www.apitherapy.org

the work of harvesting honey, preservation of farm land

August 2005

the work of harvesting honey, preservation of farm land

The work of harvesting honey is a meditation. Every season we look forward to the physical stresses of gathering honey day after day, and the pushing of physical limits allows the mind to open up. Today I am thinking again about my connection with the beekeepers of over 600 years ago as they celebrated the benevolence of our insect friends and the health of the soil we work with.

Sam, Margaret, Tim have come in from the field
with a load of honey

The rich, diverse history of beekeeping inspires our goals for the return of health to honey bees and people. Nothing is more healing than working with the natural progressions of the season. From watching the new hives grow in the spring to the harvest of a bountiful honey crop now, all the work of the year culminates in one vision we are assured of our focus on the natural path of the bees- securing their future and thus our own.

These days the bees are always working before I wake up, and the long days of summer witness foraging on a massive scale. The goldenrod plant, an important late season nectar producer, is ubiquitous in our part of Vermont.

Rounding the corner to a field of the yellow flowers makes my blood quicken in my veins. I never knew I would be so uplifted by looking at a field of flowers, and there you go, I must thank the bees again for augmenting my connection with this bit of sunshine on earth.

The American Apitherapy Society is devoted to research and the use of honey bee products to further good health and to contribute to the improvement of a variety of conditions and diseases. Bee venom therapy has been used successfully in many cases of multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Lyme’s Disease, Epstein-Barr virus, and back pain. The American Apitherapy Society supports the research and use of honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly and beeswax. Some of our crew from the honey house attended classes at the national conference in Burlington last month, and it has been exciting to be more involved with sharing bee venom therapy with others. For more information on the American Apitherapy Society, see www.apitherapy.org

our yard of bees at the Titus Farm, Charlotte, Vermont

Over the years, we have enjoyed a long relationship with the Titus family in Charlotte. On the eastern side of Mt. Philo in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, the Titus farm has 54 acres of prime agricultural soil. Almost all of it is in hay crops, and rotational grazing is used for the herd of 100 dairy cows. We are grateful to several generations of this family for their commitment to farming and their willingness to preserve this farmland. The effort to protect this agricultural land forever has been community based with support from the Vermont Land Trust. Our bees have been productive here, and it is reassuring to know that this land will never be developed. Agriculture in this valley is under tremendous pressure with all of the construction of buildings and roads. This is our second bee yard to become part of the Vermont Land Trust, and we encourage you to support the preservation of agricultural land across the country.

We received this propolis spray testimonial from Susan, “Just wanted to share how I've used your wound wash/throat spray. After realizing that the cold sore on my lip was healing after a mere two sprays, I treated an open sore on Lambchop's back, she's my friend's mini-poodle. The rawness is gone and the dog is less jittery when we touch her in that area after one treatment. I'll hit the spot again today before I leave.”

Thank you for your interest in and support of the work of our bees and plant medicine.

elderberries, Russian queens and the lusciousness of summer

July 2005 harvest newsletter
elderberries, Russian queens and the lusciousness of summer

To speak about the elderberries, this Saturday July 16 @ 10 AM we are honored to welcome Lewis Hill, Greensboro, Vermont and Denis Charlebois, St-Jean-sur-Richleau, Quebec, Agriculture Canada to our honey house on Route 7 in Ferrisburgh.

Lewis and Nancy Hill are authors of many books on gardening and plants. As friends of Honey Gardens over the years, they have encouraged us in our work with bees and plants, introduced us to elderberry and provided the cultivars for our organic elderberry nursery. These cultivars, Coomer and Berry Hill, have been selected for growing larger berries and good overwintering.

Lewis Hill with a tray of one month elderberry plants
Greensboro, Vermont

Elderberry is a “turning point” word in my work with bees over the last 40 years. Without the elderberry, Honey Gardens would not be here for it was the elderberry, as it was mixed with our bees’ raw honey and propolis, that allowed us to make an effective formula and diversity into plant medicine. Elderberry has the anti-viral agents that chemical medicines do not have and thus many people find relief support for colds, flu, and building up their immunity system within hours.

Lewis will share stories from a lifetime of growing plants in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The Coomer and Berry elderberry cultivars will be available one of each is necessary for good pollination and fruit set.

Denis coordinates the research on elderberry farms across Quebec. One of the original purposes of the project was to study the use of elderberry as natural color for the European market, and now the berries are being used in jam, wine, and medicine. We visited an organic field on one of these farms recently it is exciting to see more acreage being devoted to medicinal plants and crops that provide income for small farms as they diversity.

Sam and I were in the High Laurentian Mountains of Northern Quebec recently visiting Anicet Desrochers and family. Anicet has provided the Russian bees over the years that are crucial to our organic beekeeping, strengthening the bees and helping them overcome the mites. As most of the Honey Gardens bees died over last winter and fall, we have had an opportunity to introduce more Russian queens and re-build our colonies. One of the exciting moments during this visit was when Anicet said that his bees were moving into the era beyond mites, and that they are no longer an issue with his bees.

Sam Comfort & Anicet Desrochers
with a beautiful frame of Russian bees

We have been harvesting and extracting the new crop for several weeks, and it is beautiful. The rain and heat have brought many luscious flowers to the land, and we are grateful.

Thank you for your interest in and support of the work of our bees and plant medicine.

balance & equalize …… and the flow is on

June 2005 newsletter

balance & equalize …… and the flow is on
Lake Champlain Valley, Vermont
June 21, 2005

Today we celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. At this time, the queen bee will lay the most eggs of the season, this being determined by the number of sunny minutes of the day. Her cycle is in tune with nature and the coming honey flow, as these offspring will become the workers in the season ahead.

After a week of gentle and sometimes heavy rains, the edge has been taken off of the drought, and the sun has returned to our bee yards and the honey house. The flowering nectar plants are abundant now, and their colors are everywhere – the legumes are in bloom, black locust trees dripping with white flowers, purple and hairy vetch, yellow birdsfoot trefoil, pink and white alsike clover, and red clover. This is the earliest crop that we have seen in years.

We have been visiting each bee hive to build bear fences, checking for queens and “balancing and equalizing”, which involves taking frames of brood (young bees before they are adults) from hives that are so strong that they would swarm if they did not have their population cut back (and then not make honey). These frames are given to nucs- new, young colonies that have such a small population (that in their bolstered family strength do make honey this season.) This is the synergy of our work with bees and people, who all contribute different gifts to many common goals.

Because of the time that Sam and Tim have spent with the bees, building them back up in South Carolina and now working with them in the North, they are healthy and strong. The primary support of organic beekeeping are mite resistant bees from Russia and these are being introduced into our colonies as readily as possible.

Sam Comfort and a promising frame of bees
from Russian stock, Crow’s Nest yard

Sam noted this morning at the honey house:
It’s no secret that at Honey Gardens we love bees and want to see them thrive in the North Country like they did before mites and diseases became tremendous stresses. Russian bees love the short intense season that Vermont offers we applaud their winter hardiness, fast buildup, hygienic behavior, and gentleness. They fly at lower temperatures, and above all, they love to make honey. These combined strengths allow us to continue keeping bees without chemical treatments. With each select generation, the bees’ natural defenses are strengthening.

The past week’s rain has put energy into the soil to make the honey flow possible. We have been suspiciously eyeing the basswood trees and wondering if this year the fragile, nectar-rich flowers will not be damaged by thunderstorms. They have not bloomed yet, and as the June weather bounds into hot days, the bees and beekeepers are ready.

We are now shipping the first of the new crop of 2005 honey, raw orange blossom honey from our friends’ bees, made two months ago in Florida, and extracted and bottled in honey house in Vermont. This is a light, delightful raw honey that is very special and is the only raw orange blossom honey that we have ever seen.

a new crop of family and hay on the farm
of the first bee yard 40 years ago.

Vermont elderberry project Lewis Hill talks about elderberry @ the Ferrisburgh honey house 10 AM Saturday July 16 & releases two cultivars from his stock. With elderberry, you may grow plant medicine for your family & friends, feed wildlife, and stabilize the banks of streams from erosion. for info click here

We continue to see how the sum is greater than all of the parts in so much of what we do. Thank you all for your interest in and support of our bees, their work, and plant medicine.

the most recent action above the Blue Savannah Swamp

April 2005 newsletter

the most recent action above the Blue Savannah Swamp
Spring 2005, Marion County, South Carolina

In the late 1700’s Francis Marion, known as the legendary “Swamp Fox” of the Revolutionary War, came to this field high above the Blue Savannah Swamp. He and his troops surprised a much larger contingent of British solders, fired on them with their limited rounds, and then slipped back into the protection of the swamps along the Pee Dee River.

Sam Comfort self portrait

In December 2004, with our own idealistic mission to save the bees, against a formidable force, we spent weeks gathering the bees from the snowy lands of the North and brought truckloads 950 miles South to this same field and others along the Pee Dee River. Their future through the winter in the North was in question, weak from environmental stresses that has allowed mites and viruses to become more expressive. With smaller family populations, more colonies survive in the warmer days and nights of South Carolina, and with 60 days of additional Spring here, their families could then rebuild.

A miracle is now underway in these fields. As a phoenix in the glorious Spring days along the swamps of flowering tupelo trees and honeysuckle, Sam Comfort, with the help of Tim McFarline, are now orchestrating the revival of about 350 colonies of bees toward 1,000. Last week Sam wrote:

The mist is rising at our Blue Savannah beeyard, where I found myself early this morning moving in yesterday’s splits that will receive a queen cell today. With the approaching dawn I can begin to make out the slender oldfield toadflax flowers and the many variations of cress in this secluded, historic field. I know the bees have been drawing a lot of nectar from these fields lately, as well as the galberry and huckleberry lining this field. The swamp to the east is home to the tupelo trees, and when they bloom, the nectar will intensify even more.

The Honey Gardens’ bees are rebounding from coping with the varroa mite, and we are strictly following an organic treatment plan. We moved the hives south for a milder winter and an early escapade on this fabulous flower world. By raising our own queens and promoting mite resistant behavior, we can continue to avoid the chemical treatments that many beekeepers have caused bees to become dependent on. The mites have quickly grown resistant to chemical medicines. None of that is conducive to the Honey Gardens vision. A queen-rearing program supports our sustainability and the future of bees in Vermont. Reflecting on our important work and thinking of the good times to come this season, I pause and listen to the hum of the hives busily evaporating nectar into honey. I am so excited to once again be with the Honey Gardens team and take part in promoting the healthy future of our bees. Can’t wait to see those barn swallows out back in Vermont do their thing again!

Anicet, Ricky and Simon raising queens in the
High Laurentian Mountains, Northern Quebec

This work is supported by an international effort to save our bees. Many of our survivors have come from the bees raised by Anicet Desrocher’s organic bee farm in the High Laurentian Mountains of Northern Quebec. He has been raising queen bees that originally came from Russia, where bees have been found to be hygienic they clean the mites off of each other and kick them out of the hive. These beekeepers do not use chemicals. Mite-resistant queens have also come from Rick Shubert in California and other northern beekeepers. In his Amish carpentry shop, Dan Miller makes bee equipment without the aid of electricity. At the honeyhouse in Vermont, there is a dedicated crew putting equipment together for the bees in South Carolina. Our bees will return North in May, in time to visit the dandelion and apple flowers, and we look forward to their coming home, with Sam.

When you are in the Champlain Valley of Northern Vermont, it would be good to see you at our new honeyhouse. At 5335 Vermont Route 7, we are a few miles north of Vergennes and ½ hour south Burlington, close to and on the West/Lake Champlain side of Route 7. There is a retail shop here. After school our most honorable crew builds bee equipment, lemon yellow beeswax candles are made, and we are having some classes. Please call ahead to be sure we are here, tel. 802.877.6766, or if you are coming to Vermont contact us by e-mail or call the honeyhouse near Hinesburg (802.877.6766).

classes at the honey house, all on Saturdays starting at 10 AM:

beginning beekeeping with Sam Comfort and sale of nuc bee hives ~ May 14

Vermont elderberry project, release of two cultivars from the stock of Lewis Hill ~ July 23

The May issue of Organic Style magazine has great color pictures of our crew, bee yards and scenes around the honey house. It will be out within a few weeks.

Thank you all for your interest in and support of our bees and their work you give us courage.

healing plants of Maine

February 2005 newsletter
healing plants of Maine

In early September, I made my way to the coast of Maine to connect with the hard working harvesters of the land and sea and to gather together some of the healing ingredients that go into our plant medicine. The most important part of my journey was meeting the spirited people who provide us with the means to create our plant medicine. Larch Hanson of the Maine Seaweed Co. provides us with his nutritious kelp seaweed for our Rejuvenation Tonic and goldenrod facial masque. I also met with Theresa and Tom Gaffney who harvest beautiful antioxidant blueberries for our Rejuvenation Tonic.

Larch and Margaret with seaweed harvested that day

I drove up in the baby blue bee truck, equipped to carry back 2,000 pounds of organic blueberries and 75 pounds of seaweed. As I drove along Route 2, I was filled with anticipation. But after settling in to the rhythm of big wheels on a long and twisting road, I slowed my thoughts and enjoyed the winding journey. The pace gave me a chance to fully enjoy the landscape and catch the first few whiffs of the dewy, salty air as I approached the Atlantic Ocean.

The first stop I made was at the home of Larch Hanson. He has been harvesting seaweed for thirty years and currently harvests seaweed from a chain of islands off the coast of Steuben, Maine. In addition to harvesting, Larch builds his own boats, Windsor chairs, greenhouses, dome shelters, and a beautiful house complete with a spiraling light house staircase. Larch and his son David welcomed me with their charming humor, delightful food, patient teachings about seaweed harvesting, and a few Maine lobsterman jokes.

On a gray blue morning, we went fishing at the edge the five islands where the seaweed is harvested. We took out the wooden boats that Larch crafted himself. The two larger wooden boats linked together were followed by the loyal dinghies, looking like a family of ducks bobbing in the bay. All of us fully dressed in our wet suits and heavy winter jackets, we waved to the lobster men as they slowed their boats at each personalized net buoy. Approaching the islands, David recited their names by heart, as a hiker would look to the mountain range and pick out his favorite peaks. The water surrounding the islands is very pristine. There aren’t any factories, harbors, or cities in the bay. When seaweed harvesting begins there is no boat traffic.

Larch took me out in one of the small dinghies to get a closer look at the jungle of seaweed on the seafloor. We paused to peer down into the clear water to see an example of kelp or the nori clinging to the rocks. I was intrigued when I learned that many coastal people from around the world include seaweed as a part of their daily diet, yet our current culture typically does not. Seaweed is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. As with many traditional foods and medicines, the wisdom and the healing of these plants still remain an untapped source of healing for many people.

The following article is written by Larch Hanson. It is a comprehensive article that highlights some of the nutritional benefits of including seaweed into our daily diets.

Through seaweeds, the earth’s sea-blood strengthens our own sea-blood that we carry within us. Seaweeds are an excellent source of trace minerals in our diet. As our air and water become more acidified through pollution, minerals are leached and depleted from our land, fields, and they wash down to the sea, where the wild seaweeds incorporate them. When we eat seaweeds we take these minerals back into our bodies, and these minerals help us maintain an alkaline condition in our bloodstream, which is a healthy condition, resistant to fatigue and stress.

Seaweeds have admirable qualities: they are flexible, they are tenacious, they are prolific, and they are the oldest family of plants on earth. These plants link us to the primitive vitality of the sea. They strengthen our own primitive glandular system and nervous system. Don’t fear salt. Salt is necessary to life. If you are willing to sweat, you can move salt through you, and in the process, you will be actively creating your life and your dream from the universe-intellect structures of the complex salts and trace elements of the Universe. Quality counts more than quantity. If you eat the more complex salts of the sea, you will have less craving for simple junk food salt, and you will find yourself becoming more whole, satisfied and healthy.

Honey Gardens uses the seaweed that Larch collects in our Rejuvenation Tonic and facial masque. At the honey house, we enjoy munching on his nutritious dulse seaweed. For information on how to include this healthy food in your diet, click here for dulse recipes.

After a delightful stay with Larch and his son, I made my way south to Stockton Springs, Maine to meet with Theresa and Tom Gaffney and family at their organic farm, Highland Blueberries. A warm glow of hospitality followed my late arrival. Theresa welcomed me into her house and over a cup of tea, we talked about the interdependency of healing each other and our communities. As the darkness settled in, I was in a state of wonder at the vast 22 acres of organic blueberries that thrived on the land behind their house and the hard work the family puts into the harvest season each year. I was truly humbled by their vision, spirit, and integrity. Healing and antioxidant qualities are encapsulated in the joyful blueberries from their farm.

Theresa Gaffney in front of her organic blueberry fields with some of last year’s crop

Theresa showed me pictures of her hard working crew of neighborhood children with smiling faces. Every summer for blueberry harvest, they give the opportunity to these children to have the responsibility and rewards of a job.

Before I left at 5 am in the morning, Tom and Theresa helped me to pack the mother lode of 2,000 pounds of blueberries onto the back of the blue truck. It was a challenge in the early frosty morning air to piece together all of the boxes of blueberries in an orderly fashion, but we were able to wrap and insulate the entire package just before the sun started to rise above the horizon. Returning to Vermont with a load of Maine organic blueberries and wild crafted seaweed, I felt grateful for all the hard work of both the harvesters.

The passion and integrity of these healers is significant, obvious by the way they choose to lead their lives. They live in a simple grace that isn't imposing or preachy. Not much needed to be said, it was all there, the sparkle in their eyes as they took me out into the fields and out to their islands. A celebration of spirit and healing is what I found in the people that provide us with these vibrant plants. The opportunity to meet and interact with the people who put all the love and integrity into the healing plants was an inspiring gift.......

Vermont cat in winter

Michael Haulenbeek took this picture of a bobcat in Hinesburg, Vermont
on land where our bees live. The sacred is all around us.