A few weeks ago, my wife and her mother were taking a walk around the farm. They came across a swarm of honey bees that had collected on an old stump. We contacted 2 beekeepers and asked if they had an interest in trying to collect the bees. Brother James (JANA D Farm) and Cousin Will (aka Sweet Willy’s Honey) showed up with their bee gear and began the process of ‘bee whispering’. They had obviously done this before.
Today, these bees are in a hive in Morgantown busy making honey.
It is normal for honey bees to swarm in the spring. This is a natural process, as a colony reproduces and grows in number, the queen will leave with 50% or more of the bees and create a second colony. Before the bees leave, they will eat as much honey as they can to sustain them until they establish a new hive. This is typically done in the spring when the weather is warming up and with the promise of more food sources.
So what should you do if you find a swarm of bees? Well, it would probably be best to contact a local beekeeper and ask them for advice. Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem. Honey is a tasty by-product that we can enjoy. But greater still is the role of the bee as a pollinator. Most vegetation relies solely on bees to be pollinated.
Farm Shares & Fruit Boxes
Order by noon on Friday for delivery the following week.
Next week’s predicted contents list for delivery between
Monday, May 8 - Friday, May 12
Fruit Box
- Golden Delicious Apples - Weaver’s Orchard
- Clementines - USA
- Red Pears- USA
Regular Farm Share (Half Bushel Box)*
- Ginger - non-local, cert. organic
- Crimini Mushrooms - non-local, cert. organic
- Spaghetti Squash
- Kale
- Romaine lettuce
Large Farm Share (Bushel Box) *
The Large Farm Shares will be available beginning the week of May 15th!
*All Farm Shares are sourced from Goose Lane Farm in Sinking Spring, PA
NOTE: This is a predicted list…items may change or be substituted.
Recipe Suggestions
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Try some of Sweet Willy’s Honey today!