This has been an exciting year for the Runamuk apiary, we were able to expand from two to six hives throughout the summer. My new-found partnership with Medicine Hill in Starks gave me the chance to increase the number of colonies, and I seized the opportunity with both hands. And I am pleased to announce…
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Women’s Work
I think sometimes we don’t realize that it wasn’t very long ago that women weren’t encouraged to participate in what was considered a man’s world. Up until the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries women–especially upperclass women–were generally constrained to the drawing room, where they were expected to occupy themselves with more “genteel” activities, such…
Fun with beeswax
I’ve spent a lot of time lately playing with beeswax. And I say it that way because it’s just so much fun melting the oils and wax to create salves, and soaps, and all sorts of great stuff. Back in February I participated in a salve-making workshop with a wonderful older woman by the name…
What really demonizes Monsanto
It was brought to my attention recently that Monsanto is not bad–it’s just a corporation looking to make money. At the recent MSBA meeting Monsanto affiliate Jerry Hayes spoke about the company’s desire for sustainable agriculture (you can read that post here), but if that is true then there are some seriously misguided people leading…
GMOs, Let’s review
A recap of the health issues with GMOs: Previous posts in the GMO series: What’s the problem with GMOs?, How GM-foods affect the body, Let me decide, Old Mansanto had a farm, 10 tips on how to avoid GMOs. Next post: What really demonizes Monsanto
Farm focus
I have been hard at work on Runamuk’s business plan this last week. My attention is focused almost solely on next year’s big move. Even when I am busy with other tasks, at the back of my mind there is the farm. We have to move next year.
Planting garlic
I’m planting garlic today! I’ve never done this before, so I can’t offer any advice from personal experience. However I did my homework as I prepared to plant the bulbs and here are the resources that I found.
10 tips on how to avoid GMOs
With genetically modified ingredients in just about everything processed, it can be a daunting challenge to avoid them when you go to the grocery store. It’s startling when you begin to realize how pervasive GM-ingredients are–it seems like they are in all of the things you love and have been eating for years! But with…
How to get started keeping bees
Keeping bees is a fascinating and rewarding hobby. For many people, once they get started they are quickly infected with what is known as “Bee-fever” and there is no turning back. Some beekeepers are content with a single or a pair of hives in the backyard, others can’t help but grow their little apiary year…
Monsanto claims commitment to the honeybee industry
The last speaker of the day at MSBA’s annual conference was Jerry Hayes–the beekeeper who is now working for Monsanto. I couldn’t help but notice that a number of people left before Hayes got up to speak, and I happened to overhear one pair of gentlemen heatedly discussing Monsanto as they walked past me, so…