It’s been 2 weeks since I received that fateful call on my cell while I was at farmers’ market. It was a beautiful sunny summer day, I’d opted to leave Willow at home while I peddled my wares that day–partly because it was too hot on the blacktop parking lot for a dog, but largely…
Category: Updates From the Farm
Workshops at Runamuk
I’m excited to announce the opportunity to participate in workshops here at beautiful Runamuk Acres! In the five years since I established Runamuk and the Somerset Beekeepers I’ve spent a fair amount of time teaching the local community about bees, beekeeping, pollinators and pollinator conservation, salve and soap-making. I’ve volunteered as a master gardener for the…
How was the Open-Hive Event?
With the Open-Hive behind me, the garden in maintenance mode, and the bees content to do their thing, there’s a momentary lull in the activity here at Runamuk that affords me the opportunity to write. Generally speaking, things are going well here at Runamuk’s new location. It’s painstakingly slow progress, but it’s progress and I’m content…
Open-hive event at Runamuk
We’ve got a beautiful location for this event, and new Queens arriving this week–so as long as the weather cooperates, beekeepers from around the area can participate in making splits at the Runamuk apiary. I also plan to demonstrate some of the various mite-testing methods since this is such a crucial aspect of beekeeping these days. These…
Garden of weedin
This morning before I left for work at Johnny’s Selected Seeds I spent about an hour and a half pulling weeds and grass-rhizomes out of one of the beds. The bean-seeds that I had planted there were older seed and very few spouted, so rather than trying to pick all the weeds out around the…
Digging in
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been more than two weeks since Runamuk and I became residents of Starks. This was our third move in the last six months, and like all of the other moves there has been a period where I was once again without internet access. That, coupled with the business of…
Moving day is almost here!
Tomorrow evening I will be signing the lease for this gorgeous farm, and then Saturday and Sunday we’re moving in!
The new farm
With just 3 weeks left til moving day, I’m looking forward to getting to work bringing Jim Murphy’s old farm back to life. But before I get to dig in there, I first have to get through a marathon work-spree. I haven’t had the chance to share with my readers and followers that not too long…
Yes, Samantha, you ARE a farmer
I have to admit, I was getting more than just a little discouraged. After coming from a farm in the middle of the woods, living on a small lot alongside a busy road–while being a step up from the apartment in-town–was still a bit of a shock to my system. But the rent was low…
Good days and bad days
Spring has finally come to my neck of the Maine woods. Last week, for the first time in months, the temperatures rose into the 40s and exuberantly I made my way to the apiary to check on the bees. After five years keeping bees I know enough to realize that the odds were against me. Last…