Climbing from the breakfast chair onto the kitchen counter, I was able to reach the top shelf of the pantry. It was there that my father kept the jar of honey. This was a near-daily stretch for me. You see, I had a thing for mixing honey with peanut butter. It was better than any candy bar could ever be. Within a 2 week period, I would nearly gormandize the entire contents of the jar. -- I was 6 years old. To do this day, I love honey!
It isn’t any wonder that I recently jumped at the chance to visit a bee farm. Bixby Honey Farm is located within a few minutes of my kitchen. It is a family owned and operated business with over 36 working hives. Having given little thought to the process of honey collection, my inquisitive mind was an open book whose pages were ready to fill. Mr. Barron Church, the proprietor and expert beekeeper, was most kind to share his knowledge.
The “honeybee condominiums” were neatly aligned, spaced, color-coded, and raised. I quickly learned that each condo has only one queen bee, a few of her boyfriends, and thousands of worker bees who collect the nectar and fill the comb with the liquid gold. Spring is the busiest season for bees. This is when the honey is being made. In this particular geographic area, poplar tree blossoms are the largest source of nectar. If the swelling buzz was any indication, none of the worker bees were on break! Activity abounded.
Along with Mr. Church, were 2 of his grandsons: Connor (age 6) and Caleb (age 12). Sporting their custom bright white bee suits, they proudly assisted their grandfather and shared their knowledge of the craft. The hives are arranged in each bee crate like a filing cabinet. Upon opening the lid, young Connor would “smoke” the bees with a tin gun of burning cedar wood. Caleb shared, “It fakes the bees out. They think their hive is on fire and evacuate. Once the smoke has dissipated, they realize the joke is on them and return to work.” This gives the beekeeper a few moments to safely check the hive for production.
Honey making is a communal project. Not every queen is well received nor does her job in an acceptable manner….if such is determined, the worker bees will kick her out and find a new queen to rule the hive. Amazing. No crazy election mayhem, here! They have a task to complete and they get it done. Period. Mr. Church pointed out how different a queen bee is in body shape and size. He paints a color specific dot on their head to identify the year of their rule. This is important for maintaining proper production.
As with most agricultural crops, bee farming is also subject to the effects of the environment. This includes rain, temperature, varmints, and other insects. Although Winnie the Pooh is often seen holding his honey pot, it is actually the bee larvae that bears savor. This necessitates protection of the hives. In addition, the bee boxes are raised to keep potential skunks from snacking on the worker bees. Within the past decade, varroa mites have found their way from Asia. These pests can potentially destroy the entire colony. Mr. Church and his grandsons must administer a thymol medication every autumn to insure survival.
Late July is harvest time. The combs are de-capped and put into a fast-spinning centrifuge for honey collection. Bixby Honey Farm is able to produce a variety of products from each crop. This includes: lip balm, lavender lotion bars, lemon grass soap, shea butter, and, of course, honey. Mr. Church kindly shared a bottle of the honey with me. Purely divine!
I was astonished how much effort and expertise are involved in the process of honey farming. Mr. Church and his grandsons’ labors are most evident of this. Connor proudly shared his grandfather’s working journal of hive maintenance and affairs—even posting the date of his first sting! All of this was very admirable to view.
Perchance, even more commendable, were the means in which this family interacted. Mr. Church’s eyes lit with pride when he introduced his “coworkers”. His voice resounded with patience as he guided his grandsons’ actions. The young beekeepers moved with the energy of youth and spoke with manners well-learned. Their demeanor was one of great respect for their grandfather. To me, this was the most enjoyable portion of this bee farming experience.
Simply put: Sweet.
This was A Moment in America.
Bixby Honey Farm products can be found on line and at various retail locations. Please view their website at: www.bixbyhoneyfarm.com Fresh. Delicious.
2 Comments
May 18, 2016, 2:02:08 PM
Austin Rese - Thank you for your kind words of support. They are sincerely appreciated.
May 18, 2016, 7:33:10 AM
Lady Jane - Your "moments in America" are an educational delight to read. Thank you.