our youth as the next caretakers of the honey bees

Matt Schlein, Joseph Chugg, and Samantha Schlein
harvest honey from the bees
on the Willowell land, Monkton, Vermont

While I have only logged a few hours with the bees at the hives in my young beekeeping career, my entire understanding of bees and everything that has to do with them is growing exponentially. Before walking into Honey Gardens this summer, simply looking for a summer job, I knew very little about bees and frankly didn’t really care to learn much about them. As time went on, bottling countless pounds of honey, I was able to observe the bees that had wandered into the honey house. After being frightened of the bees, I realized that I had been working at Honey Gardens, with thousands of bees, for about a month and I hadn’t been stung. Through my observations I noticed how gentle, calm, and even how cute the bees were. How could something so much smaller then myself ever frighten me?

I was in love with the bees. I would preach to everyone I knew about how gentle the bees are and how important they are for just about everything.

I wanted to start working in close quarters with the bees and I got the chance from my teacher, Matt Schlein, founder and director of the Willowell Foundation (www.willowell.org) . One of their projects, Walden project is a program coming out of the Vergennes Union High School based on the teachings of Henry David Thoreau. It is a program for kids who want to direct their own education while learning outside of the building and in the woods. Through an independent study and a land-based project for my ecology class I was able to choose to learn about the art of beekeeping from the bee hives on the land of my school. At this point my project has composed of giving the bees organic medicine, observing the bees, winterizing the hives, basic bee research, and working at Honey Gardens.

My beekeeping career and work at Honey Gardens has taught me a lot about life, business, agriculture, and myself. Since learning the importance of bees in Vermont and the rest of the world, I feel I care for the bees as I care for some of the most important things in my life. After learning the power of the raw honey it was such a great experience extracting honey from our very own Walden bees. Taking a fully capped frame and scooping a spoon right into the freshest honey possible was so fulfilling for me.

I am thankful for this life changing opportunity from Honey Gardens and for the Walden Project for making it happen; I am especially thankful for the bees and the work they do.



Joseph Chugg

A core value of Honey Garden’s mission is to share the honey bees with youth. We believe that this has been mutually beneficial; agricultural is very labor intensive, and the help of our youth over the years of working with the bees and bottling honey is significant. At the same time, they have learned about the value of pollination, the web of the natural world and the delicate balance our earth is now in. It is a blessing when our student workers go off to college, start beekeeping clubs, and continue to raise honey bees on their own. One of these helpers made an appointment with the college president, gave her presentation for a new beekeeping project on the school land, and he was so inspired that he walked over to his desk, pulled out his checkbook and funded the project on the spot.

The honey crop in the northeast was light in volume this season, due to a drought and ongoing challenges to the health of the bees. With the dry conditions, the color of much of the honey was darker. At Honey Gardens, we are grateful to continue our diversification into plant medicine and honey wine. Thank you for asking for our elderberry syrup at your local stores and co-ops; this makes a huge difference. Raw honey, organic elderberry, organic apple cider vinegar, and propolis are effective allies to fight the common cold.

Around the honey house, the snow has now covered the nectar and pollen plants, providing insulation protection, fertilizer, and water for the coming season. Next week, after the solstice, more light will return to the earth each day, and the queen bees will start to lay more eggs.

Thank you for all of your support of the bees, plant medicine, and those who work in agriculture.

Expectations and the truth of life

Bob Stahl, about to take honey off from his bees,
fall 2007
Love Your Mother Farm, Hinesburg, Vermont

Expectations are such a double edged sword. You have to have them since that's what keeps us looking ahead, but it is so difficult when fate intervenes and alters our plans.

I became a beekeeper quite suddenly around this time last fall when a dear friend of mine, a brother, gave me two colonies of honey bees. I had never really considered keeping bees before and this started an entirely new journey for me filled with expectations.

I loved those bees. I enjoyed wrapping them up for the winter and checking on them so often. They were a new part of me as I cleared snow from their entrance and took such delight seeing an occasional bee flying out and then back into the hive during a sunny winter day. We were going to have a long and mutually productive relationship. I knew it. I expected it. I spent many a winter evening in the basement building honey supers and frames, reading my bee keeping books and looking forward to the activities of these wonderful bees come spring and summer.

Then came spring and I noticed there weren't as many bees around as I expected. What happened? I did everything I could, didn't I? They should be happy & thriving. For reasons beyond my control, these bees didn't survive the winter. This is not uncommon as we have all learned, but it was still sad. I had grand hopes and expectations.

My friend knew all too well how I must have been feeling and provided me with two more colonies of bees. This was a blessing, considering how unfortunate I felt after losing my original two colonies.

This was going to be great. I was back as a beekeeper. It was spring, flowers were blossoming, and I was seeing honey bees everywhere. My expectations were back. I WAS going to be a successful beekeeper. I so loved watching the girls fly back to the hive with their pollen baskets full of the different colors of cargo. I spent time with my friend, watching & observing his skill, methods and love as he cared for his bees. I went to the Vermont Beekeepers' lessons and observed how others cared for and loved the bees. I was back in the game; I expected lots from my bees with my new borne knowledge and the history of losing my last colonies.

Then, later in the summer, my bees were diagnosed with American Foulbrood, a seriously contagious disease to honey bees. The only remedy to prevent the spread of this disease to other bees is to destroy the colony and burn the hives. My bees, flying in from the field with their pollen sacs filled with goldenrod pollen, had to die. And much of my past winter's work of building frames in the basement had to be burned to prevent further spread of this horrible disease. Once again, my expectations were shattered.

Before they passed on, my bees gave me a lot of honey - 100+ lbs. I am so appreciative for their work and think of them every morning as I take my spoonful of honey or when I give a jar or two of honey away. They gave me everything they could.

My friend has pledged to give me two more colonies and I am grateful. He has helped me to not give up on the bees. They are a part of me now and will continue to be as long as I live here.

The bees have sent me a message that I needed to hear. The relationships that I build in this life, whether it is with honey bees or any other on this earth, comes with my own expectations and I truly need to work on letting such pre-conditions go. I often like to think that I am in control of such outcomes and the bees have taught me to loosen my grip a bit. I believe that the Great Mother is in control. My purpose here on this planet is for my diligence, my love, my prayers and my acceptance in believing that there is a higher power looking after things.

This doesn't mean that the bees are on their own. We, as beekeepers, have to be there to help them through their difficult times, especially as of late. But it does mean, at least to me, that it is not so much about me and my expectations.

Bless the bees.

Honey and Medicine: Past, Present and Future

P C Molan, Professor of Biological Sciences and Director of the Honey Research Unit University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand

[Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of abstracts from the 1st International Conference on the Medicinal Uses of Honey (From Hive to Therapy) held by Universiti Sains Malaysia in August of 2006. The abstracts have been published by the Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences (Vol.14 No.1, January 2007).]

…”It is predicted that in the future it will be widely used prophylactically to prevent infection of patients with “superbugs” in hospitals, and will come into use as standard treatment for: leprosy; for all surgical wounds to prevent infection, prevent scarring, and speed healing; for burns, to prevent infection and prevent further damage to tissues caused by inflammation resulting from the thermal damage; to minimise burning from radiotherapy for cancer; to minimise effects on the gut of chemotherapy for cancer; and will be fully accepted by the medical profession as a legitimate modern medicine.”

Study: Honey Could Play ‘Important Role’ in Preventing Cell Damage

Influence of Honey on the Suppression of Human Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Peroxidation (In vitro)

Evidence-based Compl. and Alt. Medicine, 10/18/2007

…”Our study provides (for the first time) primary evidence suggesting that these honeys in further in vivo studies could play an important role in inhibiting lipid peroxidation in biological systems through their antioxidant, metal chelating and free radical scavenging activities…”

to everything there is a season

Jan and Jordan Cannon, Charlotte,
Vermont, after the harvest, fall 2007

For a long time I have been curious about the bees. I was struck by their beauty and the way they worked so harmoniously and efficiently together. The great thing about being a filmmaker is that when you get interested in something, and want to learn more about it, you can make a film. I started filming in the spring of 2006 and am nearly finished. In the process of doing the film I have gotten four beehives of my own.

In getting to know the bees I have found that I have an emotional feeling for them, which surprised me. I hadn’t imagined that you could feel for an insect as you might a cat or dog. I really love the little creatures.

The bees have also helped me get closer to nature. I am always wondering how the heat or cold, or rain or dryness is affecting them. I am more aware of what is flowering and where the bees are going. I love to sit at the hive and watch the bees landing with their pollen filled baskets. I love their little navigational dances at the hive entrances, where they guide their sister bees to nectar and pollen sources. I have also observed that since getting bees we have gotten more green beans than ever before. We also saw a lot of bees on the raspberry flowers and had a great crop. The apple trees in the orchard across the street from our house are loaded with fruit. The trees were roaring with bees when they were in flower this spring. I don’t know if these increased yields are a consequence of the bees or just good weather conditions this summer but I am keeping my eye on it.

I have also learned a lot about the health benefits of bees and in addition to raw honey, pollen and propolis I have really benefited from bee stings! When I started my film I had tendonitis in my elbow and a sore shoulder. Since having been stung numerous times, on purpose or not, I am pain free.

My introduction to the bees has been rich beyond expectation and I thank Honey Gardens for their guidance along this path. I hope that through my film you too may feel some of what I have experienced.

Jan is interested in recording the voices of sustainable living. He observes that many people still do not understand that our earth’s resources are limited and that our over-consumption has seriously negative consequences.

the honey harvest, fall 2007

Native pollinators

I took this picture at about 4:00 p.m. on a rather cool day. The honey bees had gone home. Our native pollinator, the bumblebee, flies in cooler temperatures, so these two were still working the asters in the farm fields behind my house. from Nectar and Pollen Plants of the Champlain Valley, Vermont: A Field Report by Annie Watson


Fresh pollen is a source of energy and nutrition. Because of its tough shell, only 30% of the value may be utilized if pollen is eaten straight out of the bag. If you let it sit for 10 minutes in your oatmeal, orange juice, smoothie or other liquid, a much greater value may be gained.

We thank you for your support of the bees, plants and those who work in agriculture.

Nectar and Pollen Plants of the Champlain Valley, Vermont, a new blog

The incredible miracle of the bees' work

On a very hot summer day you can observe the worker bees at the hive entrance fanning their wings to keep the hive at the necessary temperature - 90-97 degrees Fahrenheit -- for raising brood, as well as to evaporate the water from the nectar to help turn it into honey. It is amazing to see how these tiny creatures brace themselves on their legs in a hunched-over position, remaining in position as they are jostled by other workers and drones coming and going, and even by would-be invaders such as yellow jackets and bumblebees. Single-minded in their devotion to their task, they leave it to the guard bees to chase away potential robbers.

Late Summer Gold

As I drive through western Vermont, my eyes feast on the goldenrod that is blooming wherever there is an unmowed piece of meadow or lawn.

This beautiful flower is the last major nectar and pollen source for Vermont's honey bees until next spring (save the purple asters that will bloom in early fall). As I walked through a neighboring farm field I saw the golden flowers covered with bees....You can smell the honey Thistle Hill's colonies are making from 3o feet away, it has been so strong the last few days.

Despite the persistence of the myth, goldenrod pollen doesn't cause hay fever. It's the concurrently-blooming ragweed that triggers allergic reactions. Goldenrod pollen is sticky and heavy; it falls to the ground. Ragweed pollen is lightweight and carried on the wind.

So, you can allow your goldenrod to bloom. If you leave your field and roadsides unmowed, then area bees can find food for their young in the form of pollen, and food for the approaching cold weather in the form of nectar that they will make into honey. If you don't have any goldenrod in your yard, you can plant some there or in your garden, for some wonderful fall color. For more about cultivars, see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden web site.

The hives at Thistle Hill



Annie Watson, creator of this blog, with her two colonies of honey bees and crop

Mission:

* to educate people about the importance of honey bees, and their relatives in the order Hymenoptera, for the pollination of food and flowers

* to support the understanding that the collective power of many people to plant for the bees will make a difference in the health of our land and communities

* to provide practical ideas on what may be planted for the bees, and to be a forum for exchanging these ideas with those in the Champlain Valley and beyond to help provide the bees and other pollinators with more nectar and pollen, food for their families and community



The flow is on

Here at Thistle Hill in New Haven, Vermont, we spent the weekend watching the bees' incredible activity as they worked the beginning of the bloom of the last big nectar and pollen plant of the season -- goldenrod. Huge gobs of bright orange pollen in their baskets as they came in for landings.... We lay on the ground next to the hive entrance and smelled the heavy aroma of goldenrod honey that wafted on the airflow caused by many bees fanning their wings on the landing board.

They're still driving drones out of the hives. I sat out near the hives and was visited by many drones as they made their last explorations of this earth.

On an early evening walk I spotted them on the interesting plant boneset -- gathering a light tan pollen -- as they did their major work on the goldenrod. Interestingly, I saw no bees on the joe-pye weed, a beautiful dull magenta-colored plant that lives in wetter areas.

Don't cut your burdock down!

I have observed the bees gathering nectar and pollen from the burdock flowers in the past 7 days. With the land so dry, the flowers are not producing as much nectar. The more flowers we leave growing, the more food the bees can make for their winter.


Preparing for the elderberry/sureau harvest

St.-Bernard de Lacolle, Quebec

“The birds have always been there. So we decided to share the sureau/elderberry; it is good food for them. We know that we lose 10 – 15% of the crop to them, around 3,000 lb. of elderberry.

They usually only take the top; they do not touch the rest. An average bush will have about 10 lb., and the birds will get around a pound, pound and a half. After we de-stem the elderberry, we take the stems and put them in the woods where the deer get them. To preserve the crop, we do not have a choice but to put up an electric fence for the deer; they would eat half the crop or more.

We were inspected one week ago, and they accepted our application for organic certification; we went though a three year trial and are now fully certified organic. The manure that is used to fertilized the elderberry is organic.

It is a good year; the elderberry are bending over and the branches touch the ground. I have to go and cut some branches so that the elderberries will come up. Near the ground, there is too much humidity and diseases.

Right now, the berries still have a week and a half to mature. Then we will begin the harvest in the first week of September.”

Sylvain Mercier

Elderberries are amazing. They are both delicious and a powerful remedy at the same time. Their purple color comes from anthocyanins.They are in the well known family of "antioxidants". Elderberries have been used for centuries for a lot of health issues. Among some of the most known and acknowledged medicinal properties, they are excellent against viral infections and they help stimulate the immune system . They are rich in Vitamin C, A and magnesium. Like most berries, they have anti cancer properties. Recent research also shows that elderberry syrup is beneficial for diabetic people because it helps increase insulin secretion which will improve sugar absorption. So it is a great tool in one's natural pharmacy. Good for the common cold, the flu, building the immune system and helps against diabetes.

Jacinthe Desmarais, Doctor of Chiropractic, Doctor of Osteopathic, Canada

from Apitherapy News:
Study: Propolis Extract May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

Antiproliferation of Human Prostate Cancer Cells By Ethanolic Extracts Of Brazilian Propolis And Its Botanical Origin International Journal of Oncology, 2007 Sep;31(3):601-6

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees (Apis mellifera) from various tree buds which they then use to coat hive parts and to seal cracks and crevices in the hive. Propolis, a known ancient folk medicine, has been extensively used in diet to improve health and to prevent disease…

Our results indicate that the Brazilian propolis extracts show promise as chemotherapeutic agents as well as preventive agents against prostate cancer.

the new honey crop is in !

Wherever you go, the land tells a story.

The early honey is darker this year. Some feel it is because the bees did not get nectar from the basswood tree flowers, which would have made the honey lighter. This is a result of weather and timing of nature. Where there are bees and pollinating insects, more fruit was set from the pollination. Much of the fruit is smaller because of the weeks of drought.

The first of the new crop of honey
always feels like a miracle.
New Haven, Vermont July 2007

The bees made honey early this season, and then as the land and the plants dried up, the nectar also dried up for the last three or so weeks.

The leaves of the corn are curling up, to protect the plant from losing more water on the hot, sunny, dry summer days.

The arrival of the new crop always feels like a miracle. We have all sizes of northern raw honey in the honey house, and we are also shipping raw wild Maine blueberry honey, which our friends’ bees made on the blueberry barrens of northern Maine in June. This honey is darker, reminiscent of the color of wild blueberries. It is rare for the bees to make “surplus” or honey for extraction as the flowers are smaller than the bees, and they use most of the nectar for feeding their own families in the hives while in the blueberry fields for the month. The bees fill their honey comb in the lower boxes first, where they rear their brood and store food for the year. Beekeepers only take the top boxes or “supers” when they are full.

We are seeing the honey bees in Vermont and New York State strong and independent of the CCD/Colony Collapse Disorder that is killing bees elsewhere in the country. Most of the beekeeping in our region is organic, and as chemicals are not used on the bees, they are stronger and healthier. Many beekeepers in this area have been raising queen bees from their survivors, and this is one of the most effective ways to help the bees organically.

It is encouraging to see many new beekeepers throughout the land. Annemie Curlin is taking care of her first colonies of honey bees this season. I think that the bees recognized her long support of their community, as one of her hives has made the most honey in the two states and one province in this region so far this season. Annemie blessed us with the landscape drawing on the Honey Gardens’ logo/labels years ago, and is now helping with the graphics on our honey wine labels.

We appreciate your support of the bees and plants

Todd

honey bee gathering nectar & pollen from chive flower,
Annemie Curlin with her first crop,
Charlotte, Vermont, late July 2007

“My first objective was to help pollinate the fruit trees.

Also, I wanted to enrich the animal and plant cycle; by introducing honey bees, I added an additional beneficial element to the garden and nature around here.

Another thought was the aesthetic and long cultural connections; beehives are ubiquitous in Europe where I grew up, not only in the landscape, but in the folklore, the stories, and cultural consciousness… bees and bee hives.

…. and finally there was a personal connection to my grandfather Alois Schuh, who had an orchard, rose trees, and bee hives. He knew how to do all of these things, to take care of them and to make them flourish. I see the bees among my flowers; I feel that it makes my garden richer and more alive.

A lot of my other interactions with animals are adversarial; I try and protect the fruit trees from deer, the plants from insects, it can be a battle; with bees, it is mutually beneficial, I am happy to see them. We help each other; I plant flowers, which they like, they flourish and then give honey.”

What do the plants teach us?

Plants are an endless source of wisdom. They are my most patient as well as most persistent teachers.

99% of all living organisms on this planet are plants! That number always astounds me, and I am reminded of our most basic relationship with the plant world. Our constant exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide ensures our survival on this planet. Outside the honey house now everything is a brilliant green, the color associated with our heart chakra. When this chakra is open, we are able to give and receive the gifts of love, gratitude and appreciation. It is interesting as well that out of the four elements (earth, air, fire & water), the one that corresponds with the heart chakra is air or breath. When out in nature among the plants, I am reminded that our breath and our hearts are intimately connected, as we are to the plant world. This helps me remember to slow down, have patience, and open my heart.

A well known and respected herbalist once told me that when she visits clients for a consultation, the first thing she does is take a walk around the property on which they live to see what plants are growing. And amazingly enough, nine times out ten these plants are exactly what the client needs. One of my overall examples of a teaching plant is the dandelion. Dandelions persistence is remarkable. No matter how much effort people put into trying to eradicate this little yellow flowers from their lawns and gardens, the dandelion pops up everywhere, in cities and suburbs, between flower beds and between sidewalk cracks. Dandelion perseveres. As well as being a tremendous source of nectar for the honey bee, this flower has extremely important medicinal use in our modern culture. Dandelion is one of the most effective detoxifying herbs we have, assisting our livers in processing the overwhelming levels of pollution and toxins that surround us everyday. The flower essence of dandelion has specific uses as well for people today; this is for those people constantly on the go, helping people slow down, release tension and find balance in their lives.

honey bee gathering nectar & pollen
from black raspberry flower,
New Haven, Vermont June 2, 2007
photo by Ann D. Watson, copyright 2007

Dandelion is not unique. The healing gifts of so many plants are amazing and endless. I was reading recently about a process called Phytoremediation, which according to the Wikipedia dictionary is the ability of plants to de-pollute contaminated soils, water or air by “containing, degrading or eliminating metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil and its derivatives, from the mediums that contain them.” I find this information fascinating. I am reminded again how amazing giving plants are to the planet itself, and I am inspired to give what I can back to her as well. I also realize that for those of us who are making efforts to live more sustainably and trying to help bring the earth back into balance; we are not alone, the whole plant world is here supporting us. The quote from Chief Seattle “Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself’” echoes in my mind, remind me that plants inherently live in a cohesive balance with all of life; it is time for us to do the same.

honey bee gathering nectar & pollen
from chive flower, New Haven, Vermont June 1, 2007
photo by Ann D. Watson, copyright 2007

Recently at our father’s service, I read some lines from Deuteronomy 32:13:

He nourished him with honey from the rock ….

In the early days, bees made their homes in rocky places, and sometimes the honey would ooze out when the rocks got hot. Out of the hard times, we are given sweetness.

I recall the 22 hour drives from Georgia to the north a few years ago when Tom was my driving partner, driving the bees though the night to keep them cool and living. His encouragement for many years will always be so clearly felt.

We hope you are having a good summer and appreciate your support of the bees and plants.