IS THERE REALLY ORGANIC HONEY?
Howdy Friends! The bee keeper spoke slowly, thoughtfully. His knowledge and skill ran deep, and the stories he told offered much of it for those who listened. I listened. I’ve always been fascinated by bees.
Queens, duties, and swarms.
Listening to him explain queens, how to keep them strong and their cycles of duties and functions was like watching a one man play. Captivating. Short stories of why and when hives swarm. How they prepare the queen for the journey. Each aspect of honey bee life the bee keeper turned into one act plays.
Sign language
I remember thinking this fellow should have a tv show. “Bees,” he explained, “have a very intricate sign language.” And with ease he demonstrated signals that displayed how far away certain flowers were, the direction to fly, and even how potent the pollen is there. So much information in motions, movement and wing.
Organic honey?
He spoke of organic honey in a way that stunned me. “There is no true organic honey.” He said to my surprise.
“Bees on average can easily fly 5 miles out. So if you think of all four directions from the hive, that is twenty-five square miles.”
He drew a square in the air with his hand. “There is no area of twenty-five totally organic square miles. So the honey can’t be totally organic.”
The bee keeper suggested paying the extra cost for organic honey is not a real value. Holy cow, I had never even thought of that.
Local Honey for allergy protection
He also explained it is important to only buy local honey. For only local honey will offer allergy protection to you.
A Dog Named Saturday
I could have sat with him the whole day. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
