Worker bees from a local beekeeper invaded my farm recently. I could hear the truck full of hives being unloaded in the quiet, dim light of early morning. “What is that noise?”
“Oh, the bees are here! Just in time for the mandarin blossoms.”
Busy bees like these are responsible for pollinating our almond orchards, fruits, vegetables, alfalfa and oil producing seed crops such as canola, sunflower and sesame. Without them, our food choices would be very limited.
Besides pollination service, bees make honey. Did you know that the average worker bee makes 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime? To produce one pound of honey, worker bees visit about 2,000,000 blossoms and travel over 55,000 miles, more than twice the circumference of the earth!
Besides being wonderful to eat, honey has proven antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Bee Butter, honey blended with olive oil, bees wax, bee pollen, royal jelly and bee propolis, is a wonderful healing skin balm made locally in Auburn. Regular eating of honey is also thought by many to help control pollen allergies.
At NP you can get your honey in many forms, in jars from local beekeepers, in the comb, whipped, enrobed in dark chocolate from Chuao, blended into Goat Cheese from Laura Chenel (use like cream cheese), and in Organic Green Tea with Lemon and Honey from Republic of Tea.