Apiary

Apiary

Every year or two, the bees gift the farm with honey, but their job is really to pollinate…and pollinate they do. As the farm does not use synthetic artificial chemicals of any kind, none of the pollen or nectar that is available to gather is tainted with anything that might do the bees harm.

However, bees forage within two miles, and though the queens are largely Italian and tame, and are usually raised onsite as well, once in a while a hive is lost to predators, especially ants and raccoons. When there is honey harvest, it is extraordinary–never heated above 95 degrees (the internal temperature of a hive), rich with pollen and bioactive bee substances, the flavor of the honey reflects the seasons, the weather, the flowers available to forage. Pride of Madeira, native sages including sage brush, and lavender play a large role in our own wildflowers and insectaries, planted just for these pollinators and native ones.