Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
Ladybugs are often touted as a safe solution to aphid problems in the garden because their use doesn’t involve harmful pesticides. The little spotted beetles are popular all over the world, and in ancient times they were thought to be indicators of good fortune and a bountiful harvest. However commercially available ladybugs are not native…
It’s been just over two weeks since we went back to the bank to formally apply for our construction loan. Back in March we were pre-qualified for an $85k construction loan, and we’ve been busy gathering all of the necessary estimates and documents together so that we could finalize the loan. When we met with…
This past weekend the hive in the backyard here in-town swarmed. They settled nearby and I was able to collect them and safely transport them to Medicine Hill to install them above a Queen-less hive. With an established colony I didn’t want to chance the workers taking exception to the introduction of a new Queen,…
Swarming is a natural tendency for bees in the spring and early summer, and making splits and nucs is just another part of good management of your hives. Whether you want to grow your apiary, or just insure against winter hive losses, making your own splits and nucs is an ideal way to grow or…
Meet the newest addition to the Runamuk farm!
It may seem juvenile, but I don’t care–I am a huge fan of Disney’s Phineas & Ferb. I think even if I weren’t a mother the show would appeal to me with it’s free promotion of creativity and optimism, not to mention the fact that every episode has at least one song. I love musicals–it’s…
You hear it everywhere these days–businesses and families alike are striving to lead a more sustainable existence. I’ve mentioned it many times myself in various posts─but what is sustainable living really? Surprisingly enough─a Google search does not produce many results to define sustainable living. From what I found I was able to ascertain that sustainable…
It’s long process when you’re building your farm from the ground up. I knew this when we chose this route–we could have bought an established homestead with less hassle that would have given us a jump on our farming ambitions. But with land in the family that we are historically tied to, leaving Burns Road…
Monday’s Musings is a new weekly theme I’m working to establish here on the blog (along with Sustainable Saturday–so be looking for that). I have a hard time posting regularly, mainly due to the fact that my life is generally hectic and sometimes unpredictable, what with garden, apiary, household up-keep, child-rearing and homeschooling to tend…
After much deliberation and a trip to the Medicine Hill apiary, I’ve decided to push the date of our Splits & Nuc-Making Workshop off until the 26th of May–next Sunday. The time will remain the same. The weather forecast is calling for cooler temperatures tomorrow, not ideal for extensively pulling apart hives to make the…