News

It’s swarm season! Mark and I (well really Mark …I was just along for the ride) hung swarm boxes around the farm last week. Catching a swarm is like winning the bee lottery. It’s rare, and they move quickly and are unpredictable. This combination makes the capture of a swarm exciting. Bees swarm for several reasons and usually in the spring. This is the time when they are rapidly increasing in numbers so if the hive isn't big enough and there's overcrowding, the bees will split off from the original hive. The queen will send scouts out to find a...

Mark has been busy in the bee yard. Bee losses were high this year with some beekeepers reporting staggering losses of 80%. This is not only devastating for the beekeepers but also for the pollinators as a whole. Thankfully we had losses below 30% which is great for us but we still concerning about the losses overall.  There are many thoughts on the causes of these losses. Is it the weather? Is it the systemic effect from foraging chemically treated plants? Perhaps the pressure created by pests like the Varroa mite? It may be some time before the actual cause of...

It’s the most wonderful time of the year on the farm...grazing season is here!  As of this past week, ALL of our animals are out to pasture and are living their best life. Grazing season is different every spring, this year because of the slow, cool start, the grasses and legumes are a bit behind. The pasture isn't as tall but with the heat these past few days, the grasses and legumes have really jumped up.  The transition from hay (dried grasses and legumes) to lush green grass is a tricky one for cattle and we keep a close eye on them to make sure...

With it being Mother’s Day it makes me think of the mothering instinct and how animal mothers are as unique and different as human mothers. While all animal moms are attentive, loving and protective they all have their unique style. Alice is a helicopter mom who never loses sight of her calf and hardly ever leaves her calf with Lumpy (our donkey) for babysitting. Larissa constantly communicates with her calf knowing where it is at all times and would never think of leaving her calf with Lumpy. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Xavy who is so laid...