Honey the way it was meant to be
We got the broccoli seeds started this week. We’re going to be at a family reunion at a critical period during the seedling starting process, so Angie’s mom has kindly volunteered to start our tomatoes and bell peppers. We’ll be … Read More »
The food forest is going in the side yard, but first I have to deal with a major drainage issue. That culvert in the first photograph collects runoff from 90 or so acres across the street and dumps it into … Read More »
Snow is one factor to consider in designing a hive stand. My bee hives that are on lower stands got half-buried in the snow. The ones on higher stands didn’t get buried, but the entrances did get blocked. My hives … Read More »
I noticed a distinct difference between having the hardware cloth covered with tarps and having them open. The first day all seemed fine. On the second day the coop felt damp and had a stronger earthy smell than usual. There … Read More »
I don’t know how folks who live in real snowy climates manage their birds in winter. We got about 18 inches of snow Friday and yesterday and didn’t even try to get in the chicken coop yesterday. Knowing we might … Read More »
We must be doing something wrong. Prior to getting the chickens, I consumed a wealth of information about chicken husbandry from that infallible source of truth and knowledge, the internet. Some of the information was silly (Chicken sweaters? Really?). Some … Read More »
My family had chickens when I was a kid, and Angie wanted to try keeping some, so we fixed up a hen house and bought some day-old chicks. There’s one rooster, a big Dark Brahma who is not overly aggressive … Read More »
I have worked with many novice beekeepers who lost colonies because they either did not feed the bees at all or they did feed, but at the wrong time. Here’s the advice I offer them. The dates are for Fredericksburg … Read More »
I realize there is a lot of strong feeling about the Flow Hive (www.honeyflow.com) invented and marketed by Australian beekeepers Stuart and Cedar Anderson, but a number of friends have asked my views on the product and so I will … Read More »
My dad kept honey bees and helped me earn the Boy Scout Beekeeping merit badge when I was a kid. I bought my first packages of bees when I was 18 years old, but left them behind when I launched … Read More »