Thursday, July 21, 2011
Dodeca-what?
Check out these unique dodecahedron (12-sided) hives I visited today. They were created by Ron Breland, who has been called "the most radical beekeeper in Rockland County". We all agreed he's the most warm and friendly radical any of us have ever encountered. The bees really seem to like him too:
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Bugged
My apologies for the lack of photos in this post. I'll try to add some later.
We did a check of the hives last week. I hadn't been involved in much beework recently, so it was a nice change of pace. The hive known as "Satisfaction" had been without a queen for a month, which was cause for concern. In order to encourage to the worker bees to create a new queen, comb from another hive containing eggs and larvae were placed in Satisfaction along with some nursemaid bees. I had the task of firmly, yet carefully, knocking the nursemaids into the hive. This involves raising the wooden frame, which is covered with bees, several inches above the hive and then bringing it down decisively on the edge of a frame still in the hive. The impact sends most of the bees on the frame you're holding down into the hive and once you've done it, you step back quickly. I did this twice with good results. As I sometimes find myself to be an indecisive person, working with the bees is a good exercise in behavior modification. You need to be clear in your actions and not hesitate when working with bees: they do not like indecisiveness.
Today I went to a screening of "Queen of the Sun", a documentary on bees that I've been trying to see for months: http://www.queenofthesun.com/about/ It was shown at Shadowcliff, a beautiful old mansion overlooking the Hudson River in Nyack, NY that is the current headquarters for the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a non-profit that's been promoting non-violence since 1914. It also happens to be the office of film director Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs", "Philadelphia", "Rachel Getting Married").
"Queen of the Sun" looks at the dangers honeybees are facing around the world, much of which is due to commercialization. For example, in central California there are thousands upon thousands of acres of almond trees that require pollination every year in order to produce nuts. Because there are just almond trees in these orchards that only bloom in February, bees cannot make a home there year-round. This lack of local bees means that thousands of bees are trucked in from all over the country in order to tend to the almond blossoms. These traveling bees struggle with temperature/environmental changes, eat corn syrup while in transit since they can't forage for food, and are at increased risk of contracting diseases and parasites: all of which makes the hives quite vulnerable. But the bees who are not exploited in this way are also in jeopardy: exposure to pesticides disrupts their ability to find their way back to their respective hives and may be a cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious occurrence where entire bee colonies suddenly disappear. Since bees are necessary for vegetables and fruits to grow, there is much at stake if they are not protected. If you eat honey, buy local! If you want to help bees, plant flowers!
Bees were not the only insects on my mind this past week. The theme of the day camp was "What Bugs You?" so Josh and I did some sessions with the children that focused on insects such as ants, butterflies, ladybugs, and flea beetles, in addition to the bees. Some of the campers are wary of the bees in the garden, but most are intrigued by the numerous 6-legged creatures that call the garden their home...much as I was at the same age. Bugs rule!
We did a check of the hives last week. I hadn't been involved in much beework recently, so it was a nice change of pace. The hive known as "Satisfaction" had been without a queen for a month, which was cause for concern. In order to encourage to the worker bees to create a new queen, comb from another hive containing eggs and larvae were placed in Satisfaction along with some nursemaid bees. I had the task of firmly, yet carefully, knocking the nursemaids into the hive. This involves raising the wooden frame, which is covered with bees, several inches above the hive and then bringing it down decisively on the edge of a frame still in the hive. The impact sends most of the bees on the frame you're holding down into the hive and once you've done it, you step back quickly. I did this twice with good results. As I sometimes find myself to be an indecisive person, working with the bees is a good exercise in behavior modification. You need to be clear in your actions and not hesitate when working with bees: they do not like indecisiveness.
Today I went to a screening of "Queen of the Sun", a documentary on bees that I've been trying to see for months: http://www.queenofthesun.com/about/ It was shown at Shadowcliff, a beautiful old mansion overlooking the Hudson River in Nyack, NY that is the current headquarters for the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a non-profit that's been promoting non-violence since 1914. It also happens to be the office of film director Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs", "Philadelphia", "Rachel Getting Married").
"Queen of the Sun" looks at the dangers honeybees are facing around the world, much of which is due to commercialization. For example, in central California there are thousands upon thousands of acres of almond trees that require pollination every year in order to produce nuts. Because there are just almond trees in these orchards that only bloom in February, bees cannot make a home there year-round. This lack of local bees means that thousands of bees are trucked in from all over the country in order to tend to the almond blossoms. These traveling bees struggle with temperature/environmental changes, eat corn syrup while in transit since they can't forage for food, and are at increased risk of contracting diseases and parasites: all of which makes the hives quite vulnerable. But the bees who are not exploited in this way are also in jeopardy: exposure to pesticides disrupts their ability to find their way back to their respective hives and may be a cause of Colony Collapse Disorder, a mysterious occurrence where entire bee colonies suddenly disappear. Since bees are necessary for vegetables and fruits to grow, there is much at stake if they are not protected. If you eat honey, buy local! If you want to help bees, plant flowers!
Bees were not the only insects on my mind this past week. The theme of the day camp was "What Bugs You?" so Josh and I did some sessions with the children that focused on insects such as ants, butterflies, ladybugs, and flea beetles, in addition to the bees. Some of the campers are wary of the bees in the garden, but most are intrigued by the numerous 6-legged creatures that call the garden their home...much as I was at the same age. Bugs rule!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Of Cabbages and Queens
Though the regular garden maintenance and day camp sessions were in full swing last week, the interns were able to take time for some educational activities. As part of its commitment to intern training, The Pfeiffer Center participates in the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) of the Lower Hudson Valley, which provides new farmers with opportunities to learn what is happening at other farms in the area every other Tuesday evening. 
While many of the farms are located in more rural settings, some are in or around New York City. Our host this past Tuesday was Brooklyn Grange, a 1-acre rooftop farm that, despite the name, is not located in Brooklyn, but rather in Queens. Situated on top of a large, 6-story industrial building, this unique agricultural enterprise sold 12-13,000 pounds of vegetables to local restaurants, its 25-member CSA, and at farmers' markets last year. The rooftop-specific soil used for the vegetable beds is made from mushroom compost and special lightweight stones, so it looks a bit strange but the plants don't seem to mind. Drainage mats, felt, and special fiber mats located beneath the soil work to manage water dispersal on the roof in conjunction with 16 drains. Though it's quite a remarkable feat, sustainability may be a challenge as it is difficult to keep replenishing the soil when you have load-bearing issues to consider: it took 1 million pounds of soil just to establish the farm. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful evening. Elexis, Josh, Kirstin, and I meandered about the heirloom tomatoes, beets, chard, sunflowers, salad greens, and okra and enjoyed the sunset along with the cool breezes on the rooftop. www.brooklyngrange.org
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| Looking over the edge between beds 1 and 0. Note beds -1 and -2 to my right. This is due to the lopsidedness of the building |
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Herban Living
I mentioned in an earlier post that I had taken on the role of "herb steward", which means I'm partially responsible for gathering, drying, and storing the plants that are used for making Pfeiffer Center salt blends, salves, and other cool things. In addition to the familiar herbs like parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, we also dry mint, fennel, lemon verbena, lavender, catnip, comfrey, and calendula flowers. The calendula has been blooming over the past couple of weeks and I've been trying to stay on top of gathering the blossoms...
...and getting them into the dehydrator located in the greenhouse.
The Threefold Educational Center hosts a 6-week nature-focused day camp program on the campus each summer and this year's session started last week. Visiting the garden is part of the daily schedule for the campers, who range in age from 5 to 15. The interns are tasked with finding various ways to engage the children in the garden. We have them taste and smell different plants, weed beds and then plant seeds, tear out things that are past season like sweet pea vines, and also pick herbs. The lower trays in the dehydrator are very full in this photo because the campers harvested mint and lemon verbena and then went the extra step of picking the leaves off the stems.
Once those calendula blossoms are dry, we'll remove the petals and soak them in a jar of olive oil for a few weeks. The resulting infusion will be an ingredient in the salve we'll make in the late fall/early winter. Calendula is known for its soothing and healing properties, which is why you find it in lotions and creams. The Pfeiffer Center salve is a favorite among the locals and a bestseller during the Christmas shopping season. Here's some additional information on calendula, including a recipe for the infusion and a salve:
http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/last-chance-foods/2011/jun/10/calendula-anise-hyssop-flower-power/
Another flowering plant mentioned in the article is anise hyssop, which is a favorite of the bees in the garden here. I washed out an almond butter jar today in preparation for anise hyssop leaf sun tea. I'll let you know how that works out for me.
Best wishes for the 4th of July!
The Threefold Educational Center hosts a 6-week nature-focused day camp program on the campus each summer and this year's session started last week. Visiting the garden is part of the daily schedule for the campers, who range in age from 5 to 15. The interns are tasked with finding various ways to engage the children in the garden. We have them taste and smell different plants, weed beds and then plant seeds, tear out things that are past season like sweet pea vines, and also pick herbs. The lower trays in the dehydrator are very full in this photo because the campers harvested mint and lemon verbena and then went the extra step of picking the leaves off the stems.
Once those calendula blossoms are dry, we'll remove the petals and soak them in a jar of olive oil for a few weeks. The resulting infusion will be an ingredient in the salve we'll make in the late fall/early winter. Calendula is known for its soothing and healing properties, which is why you find it in lotions and creams. The Pfeiffer Center salve is a favorite among the locals and a bestseller during the Christmas shopping season. Here's some additional information on calendula, including a recipe for the infusion and a salve:
http://culture.wnyc.org/articles/last-chance-foods/2011/jun/10/calendula-anise-hyssop-flower-power/
Another flowering plant mentioned in the article is anise hyssop, which is a favorite of the bees in the garden here. I washed out an almond butter jar today in preparation for anise hyssop leaf sun tea. I'll let you know how that works out for me.
Best wishes for the 4th of July!
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