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 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 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