Runamuk Acres Conservation Farm
Soil-first farming, building health from the ground up!
Until recently, native and feral bee populations met all of a farmers’ pollination needs. Farms were smaller, and closer to natural areas where native bee populations could easily recolonize a farm should an insecticide application kill resident bees. But with the advent of the industrial farm, habitat for pollinators has been drastically reduced─today, many of…
Because I love bees and because the act of pollination fascinates me so–it saddens me to think that all too often this crucial event and the animals that make it happen–are overlooked. It really is amazing to think about how the actions of one animal can affect an entire ecosystem. While honeybees are the most…
It wasn’t long after I got into beekeeping that I began to see pollinators everywhere…the insects that carried out this seemingly sacred ritual with the plants all around me–even the act itself–became the most beautiful and fascinating thing I had ever seen. And it remains so to this day. The act of pollination fills me…
My first attempt at making video for the internet is–well–not great, but it’s not completely horrible either. Honestly, I’m just not comfortable in front of a camera. But I did it, and I added it to our Indiegogo campaign page and with a deep breath I went live with our fundraising campaign. I’ve got all…
We’re gearing up to get underway here at Runamuk, we’ve got animals lined up to come to the farm (you know–as soon as the snow melts so that we can build shelters for them!), we’ve arranged for a neighbor with a tractor to come till the new gardens, and the bees are flying! I’m so…
We’ve had such a growth of support, and we are so grateful for it that I’ve decided it’s high time we hosted our first online giveaway to thank all of our readers for following along with Runamuk. I’m excited to announce that we have a copy of the Xerces Society’s Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators…
“What a hideous plant! Isn’t it terrific!?” “Oh my gawd–check out this spider! Look at all those long legs!” These are not exclamations of repulsion, but terms of endearment uttered by myself and our family. We truly love nature. To us the Earth is a marvel; there is beauty in even the ugliest of plants,…
Mother Nature brought us a whopping 12-14 inches of snow last week, forcing me to postpone the first class of bee-school, and while I’m sure we’ll get more snow between now and then, the first day of spring is just 6 weeks away now. Here at Runamuk, Keith and I are gearing up for the…
I love the assortment of people who are drawn to beekeeping. Young and old, eccentric and conservative, financially solvent–and bootstrappers like me–those who make do with less. People from all over the state come together for the annual Maine State Beekeepers’ conference to join together in the spirit of learning; to bask in the feeling…
At the August meeting of the Somerset Beekeepers, we hosted two of UMaine’s academics who have been actively researching native bees in Maine and in the agricultural system. Dr. Sam Hanes’ is an anthropologist studying the perceptions growers have relating to the benefits of incorporating native pollinators into their farming efforts, and the methods they…