Be Still My Heart

-Posted by Isaac

A few weeks ago Jayne and I were invited to promote bees and bee products (sell honey) at COSI. It was part of the "Sustainability Series", a once a week showing of an independent film which dives into some poignant issue touching our world. That week the issue was honeybees, and we had the pleasure of watching "More Than Honey."

The film was fantastic, the photography was amazing, but we left with somewhat of a sour taste.

Here's why- shortly into the movie you could sense a distinct and biased angle, a bent that persisted throughout the film against the "evils" of commercial beekeeping. You'll feel this bias just by watching the two minute trailer. (By the way, Einstein didn't say that.)

The film maker seems to have things figured out: the cause of CCD, the reason for honeybee decline is commercial beekeeping and the pollination service to modern industrial agriculture.

And for all I know this may be true.

Big beekeepers do live and work in a chemically dependent, screwed up, unnatural system. They do truck bees around, they do, as John Miller stated, "deal with death on an epic scale." But I think the film seriously over-explored the "dirty" parts of big beekeeping and understated or misinformed the viewer about the importance of beekeeping on a commercial scale. I really felt my blood pressure go up at times... it's not the old man beekeeper in the beautiful mountain meadow who puts food on my plate! It's John Miller! It's Ed Eisele! (previous post) It's my old boss Wayne Morris and now his daughter, taking up the commercial reins. These are extremely valuable people, not the evil capitalist pigs that the film would lead the viewer to believe.

There are maybe 1200 of these men and women in the country. In the country! These are truly exceptional people. They manage to keep bees alive and get strong colonies placed in the orchards and the fields at the critical right time. This takes great skill, experience, know-how and at times a little luck. These people work hard, long hours full of sweat and dirt and huge chunks of the year away from their families.  Believe me, I know. They indirectly provide you and I with about a third of our food. The good parts of our diet- nuts, fruits, veggies... these people are the gatekeepers.

Is it for money? Of course. Good money. But they're not money hungry capitalists, as the film insinuated. The few commercial beekeepers I know, do it for love. For the love of bees and love of the lifestyle. (Wayne Morris: "Isaac, we're the last real cowboys.") They know they have a duty of key importance, and they're quietly proud in that knowledge. 

Ok movie over.
Time for my almond season tip-of-the-hat to commercial beekeeping.

Sorry to do this again, but I'm gonna, embarrassing as it is...

The year on the road with a commercial beekeeper taught me many things. For one, I don't want to do it. That is, I don't want to do it unless I'm the boss. This song is one thing I got out of that experience.

It's a love song, sort of. And a trucking song, sort of. I was in California with the bees and Jayne was back in Montana with school. It was midFebruary and the almonds were in bloom. 

Here you are. Poor singing from our "recording studio" in the honey house. Enjoy, and Happy Valentines!

"Business" Trip

-Posted by Isaac

Last week, Sunday morning, Becky and I set out for south Florida.
Becky is my rich produce-farming sister. Just the night before she had thrown a big crazy party for her rich farming friends.

I drove.

The goal: find Ed Eisele and buy a skid-steer forklift. Pictured below, you can see the skid-steer in action. This machine will hopefully one day come in handy around our little bee farm.

Ed Eisele is a commercial beekeeper.

He has a few hives.

And some nice toys.

Ed winters his hives in south Florida and summers them in Michigan. In between, he chases the big bucks in the California almonds.
This load was the last one of 15 heading west. All netted up and ready to ship out by 9 pm.

The next morning I got my "new" skid-steer.

Don't worry, Ed. We got this.

 5000 pounds heavier, 1200 miles to get home. It was time to put my frumpy old truck to the test.

 But first, some fishing. It was south Florida after all.

Becky's hangover had worn off by Tuesday.
We really did pretty well. About twelve miles off the coast of Naples; constant fish coming in. Mostly red snapper and Atlantic white grunt. Mostly small... but good eatin'!

On the way out we watched the private jets fly into town.

On the way in we marveled at the second homes and yachts.

Naples is such a playground.
A place vegetable farmers go to retire.

Becky's future boat

Up the coast to Ft. Myers Beach. The weather was beautiful-- 75 degrees and sunny.

Time to find a spot for some free camping.

Around midnight we had one small brush with the Ft. Myers police, but it was nothing a wink and a bribe couldn't handle.

It's hard to hide with this outfit!

Finally, some shelling.
My mother told us that Sanibel Island was a famous spot for finding cool shells. It's also another spot where the wealthy hang out. Becky just loved it.

We spent the morning and it didn't disappoint.

A run up the beach was full of surprises.

In many places someone got creative.

It was a slow trip home but we made it by Friday, no worse for the wear.

Now our kids can also be creative.

These beautiful treasures have made their way to the couch cushions, the porch cupboards, the floor of the car and other spots of oblivion...fated to soon be crumbles and dust in a drier, less grand oblivion whence they came.

A Good Shop

-Posted by Isaac

I mentioned  we've been putting in some hours of shop work this winter. For beekeepers, winter is not only a time of dreaming and watching football. There's plenty to do-- thousands of frames build, brood boxes and supers to paint, foundation to wax, feeders to repair...

To do all this, you need a good shop. Maybe this is a good time to spotlight our little set-up.

When we moved back to Ohio in 2006, one of the first things I jumped into was turning an old garage into a shop.

Much to Jayne's chagrin.
It's not like there was nothing to do on the house. But I tried to explain why I needed to be out there day and night.
Eye rolling.
It's not just a dumpy little shack, Honey! It's the foundation of a business!
More eye rolling.

Well, anyway, eventually it got done. Electric, outlets, lighting, insulation, heat, benches, cabinets, drawers, tools, saws, grinders, nuts and bolts... the works!
And decor. Very important, decor... as you saw in my last post.

Now, spring, summer, fall and even cold winter, we can turn a pile of old bee boxes...

Why snowshoes? Decor, very important.

...into a pile of old bee boxes with paint on them.

Heat, storage, decor. Check. check, check. 

And music. Also very important. Music.

Ok, enough already. Let me show you a real shop.
I spent some time in my brother's shop this week.
The first noticeable difference: there's room to move!

Also, new tools. Good for "borrowing."

I had to do some welding. He has a welder in his shop! Also a torch. Most beekeepers don't fool with that stuff.

Everything is air-powered:

A big compressor sits in a soundproof room.

Of course he has his toys.

And a little of his own brand of decor.

Some farm toys just a step out the door-

So we're cramped. That's ok.
We can still awkwardly fit three separate work stations.
Henry waxes foundation, Mr. Blair builds frames.
I watch.
I sip martinis and read Tolstoy. (Because it's a long day.)

Sometimes Jayne brings out the linens.
We both watch; nibble some Italian cheese with a touch of honey. Ah, so refined.

Thanks, Whole Foods!

So there you are.
The shop has evolved over the years. The work has evolved.
But I still contend, a good shop is the base of a successful career.
Whatever the career may be.
Beekeeping:

Masonry or general construction:

Or even animal husbandry:

The Worthington Winter Market- Come Check It Out!

-Posted by Jayne

Have you been to the Worthington Winter Market yet?  Many of our customers lament the end of the summer market season.  I just got an email this week that read, "I can't wait for the return of the summer Worthington market!"  While the Summer market is great, the Winter market is really awesome, too.

I can only believe that these folks have never given our Worthington Winter Market a chance.  So I thought I should take a little pictoral tour of our market so I could create a blog showcasing all the fine offerings of the winter market.

Let's start with the newest vendor: Prairie Fields Farm.  My friend Rachel Najjar blends amazing teas, makes handcrafted soap, salves, lip balms, AND to top it off- she raises her own sheep, spins and dyes the wool, and sells the hand-spun yarn at the market!

Pictured below, Dan the Baker always draws a large crowd with his display (and free samples!) of fresh bread.

Have you tried fresh pasta?  Maria's makes ravioli as you watch.

Or- if you are too impatient to have it made while you watch, grab a bag from their selection.

And just around the corner, bak serves up samples of their cinnamon rolls.  What's that I see?  Honeyrun Farm Fall honey?  Why yes- they use it in their pecan bars!

For the gluten free folks- there is Éban's Bakehouse.

And for the lovers of fermentation:  Kombu-Tea.  Also offering free samples.  It really does taste great!

I tried the Original and the Ginger-Goji, and I actually liked the Original the best.  They are only at the market every other week, but Raven Rocks has kombucha on alternate weeks.

If you head on up to the heart and soul of the market and you'll find a staple:  FRESH coffee.  Silverbridge roasts their coffee the day before they bring it to market.  And they love giving out free samples!

Have you met Dana and the crew from Dana Lee's Bakery and Catery?  They always have a huge display of baked goods, and offer snacks and pastries that are themed for parties (OSU vs. Ducks, holidays, etc) depending on the season.  

My favorite stop is Swainway Urban Farm- where you can find an assortment of Shiitakes and Oyster mushrooms.  They also have ginger!

Down the hall you'll find another great bread and bagel selection:  Sugar B. Bakery.  She makes an excellent Spinach Loaf.  I also love her bags of Mix'd Up Bagels- an assortment of 6 varieties of made-from-scratch bagels.

Now- the vegetables.  People think there are no vegetables grown in Ohio in winter-time, but that's just not true!  There is an abundance of storage crops you will find at market, such as:

Butternut Squash

Garlic:

And veggies grown in hoop houses, such as:  Kale

Not pictured here but also often found at Winter market:  Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Spinach, Sprouts, Winter Squash, Beets, Potatoes, Salad Mix, and Avocado.  Haha, just kidding.  We don't even grow avocados in Ohio in the Summertime.  I was just making sure you were actually reading, not skimming.

There is an impressive display of apples from Gillogly.  Gold rush are my favorite.  Super crisp, sweet, and tart.

Turnips!

Freshly pressed cider!

And don't forget the meat!  Oink Moo Cluck has a lot to offer.  Do you think locally grown market meat is too expensive?  I've been doing some comparing, and it's just not true.  I have found that some of the local meat often beats out Kroger prices.  

Then you can stroll on down to the Honeyrun booth and check out our large supply of sample soaps.  

Lots of beeswax candles...

Bee Pollen- don't forget to start taking it every day NOW.  Don't wait until Spring when the pollens are in the air.  Your body has to get used to the stuff.

The cinnamon honey seems to fly off the shelf in the wintertime.

And we have a few squares of comb honey left.  Get it while you can, because it will be gone until the bees make more (usually by July).

You will get to meet our favorite "market Nanny" Linda.  She has been taking care of our baby Eden every market since the beginning of May.  What a blessing!

So if this pictoral tour of the Worthington Winter Market hasn't enticed you enough- I don't know what will.  You really need to come check it out for yourself.  For a complete list of who and what you will find there tomorrow, check out the market blog:  http://worthingtonfarmersmarket.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow you can bring your kids to make a free craft with market sprouts.  The Columbus Folk Music Society will be playing music (they also encourage children to play along with toy instruments they supply).  You can often find a face painter for children, and there is a large playground / slide area at the north end of the mall.

Or, do what we do- leave the older kids with the babysitter and make it a "market date."  There are so many great people to meet, vendors and customers alike.  Stop by and say hi!

Buckeyes Win!

-Posted by Isaac

What an awesome season that was!

Did you avoid the tear gas and 89 dumpster fires?

And what a way to cap it off. Especially for a team that seemed to be perpetual underdogs and had so many things go wrong from the beginning. I'm not one to plan my week around it, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching Buckeye football this year.
It's over?
Has life now left us empty? A meaningless void?

Oh yeah... there's always the bees.

Lately we've been doing a lot of shop work. Mainly building frames, waxing foundation and painting hive bodies.

Off in a forgotten corner of the shop, I found this:

Twelve years ago? Remember? Craig Krenzel and the underdog Buckeyes vs. Big Bad Miami?
I remember. I was unmarried, childless, (penniless) and living in Breckenridge, Colorado more or less as a ski bum. I watched that crazy game at my buddy's place in Fairplay. Riveting it was.
The previous day, I had gone hiking with some Ohio friends and a hot Mennonite girl named Jayne Gerber. We were on the Great Sand Dunes near Alamosa, and one of them (Clayton, you goof!) wrote a gigantic "OSU" by making tracks across the face of a high mountainous dune. We laughed when we reached the car. Looking back, you could clearly see it from over a mile away. And anyone pulling in the lot the next few days could also clearly see it.
I suppose this "vandalism" could be considered somewhat obnoxious if you were not a fan.
But hey, they won!

Winter has set in, hasn't it?
I hope the hive wraps are doing some good.

They certainly hold heat to the touch on a bright sunny day.

The bees are fun to watch. Even when it's a chilly 20 degrees, if the sun is out, there is still quite a bit of activity seen through the upper vent holes.

Hello in there!

We've been sledding and big game hunting.
Maizy stalked this herd behind the bee yard at Grandma's.

And look at this trophy!

What a kill! This baby's going on the wall.