We spent most of the day completing our honey harvest for this season. Although hive losses averaged close to 80% in Tennessee this past winter, we lucked out with losing only one hive out of five. So, we feel pretty good to have harvested 92 pints of honey today.
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Well done! Glad to hear you had a good year even with the losses.
Congrats! Looks like some beautiful honey!!!
Due in no small part to the Harmony of your Farm and Family.
BRAVO Cindy and Brian!!
Sweet!
Thanks everyone for the kind regards and congrats. Beekeeping is certainly a challenge these days. But, of greater concern is the state of pollinators in general. How many of you recall seeing thousands of Monarch butterflies in a single tree, when growing up? I do. We are lucky today to see a single specimen in a season. Take that one beautiful example and multiply across the spectrum to include all pollinators…and, it is enough to alarm even the casual observer.
Cheers,
Brian,
I agree with you about the alarm over species loss. I try to do everything I can to improve food for insects and butterflies. We hear news of the sixth great extinction and people think of polar bears. But it is actually the loss of insects that concerns me the most. Happily early this spring I saw dozens of bees covering early crocuses in my lawn. We moved into our home three years ago and no longer spray the lawn for weeds. In early summer the bees were busy visiting the dandelions blooms. A few weeks ago the clover started blooming and I’ve noticed there are lots more bees. I have seen more snakes this year, even a tortoise crossing our lawn.
An older man I used to work with told me that he remembered plowing the soil and seeing hundreds of birds flying behind his tractor swooping down to feast on worms. You don’t see that anymore. As a kid I recall the garter snakes hatching in the spring. You couldn’t walk across the lawn without seeing a few dozen snakes. (Sometimes still gives me nightmares!) Now I rarely see snakes even though we live near the woods. I have noticed more worms and toads living in my gardens. I use plain old natural brown mulch and compost made from yard waste. I don’t add any chemical fertilizers. The worms and toads seem to thrive now and the birds are always scratching away in the soil looking for food. This spring I was shocked when a flock of robins came swooping into the yard, returning from the winter home. I don’t recall seeing that many robins all at once.
Jody,
You are thoughtful, as usual. Glad you are seeing some improvement based on your stewardship!
Brian
Beautiful!
Thanks! enjoy the pork!