This article is part of our "trees for bees" series where we feature trees/shrubs that are excellent pollinator forage We raise honey bees in the sand prairie of Minnesota. It's a harsh landscape and many of the traditional "bee plants" struggle, so we look to native trees and shrubs to provide a lot of our … Continue reading Gray Dogwood – A Native Shrub For Pollinators and Birds
This is the story of how we went from owning 1 cat to 7 in just three months. Sometimes, the most exciting things are surprises.... We'll start at the very beginning - 8 years ago we adopted our first cat. She is a silver/gray siberian forest cat. Big and hairy. Our children were young and … Continue reading Is there such thing as too many cats?
What are the bare necessities to getting started in beekeeping? What suit should you get? What tools do you need? How much equipment?? We answer this, and more.... Get your kids started in beekeeping; that way, they won't have money for drugs Beekeeping can be an expensive venture. There are so many tools, parts, and … Continue reading Beginning Beekeeping – What you need to get started!
What is the best way to help out struggling bees and pollinators? If you aren’t a gardener or don’t have a yard, how can you help?? As beekeepers, we have an inside view on the needs of pollinators and we’ve boiled it down to 3 easy things that everyone can do to impact our pollinators. … Continue reading How you can help #savebees
This article is part of our "trees for bees" series where we feature trees/shrubs that are excellent pollinator forage Smooth Sumac and Staghorn Sumac are common "roadside" plants in North America. They are pioneer plants and quickly spread by rhizomes to colonize erosion prone areas. They are unique looking shrubs, grow without maintenance, tolerate drought … Continue reading Staghorn Sumac – A blessing to bees and humans
Black walnuts are native to the United States and grow in almost every climate/soil type. They produce edible nuts that drop in the fall. The exact time is a matter of weather. Last year, they fell in October. This year, the trees started turning yellow in late August, though it was unseasonably cool toward the … Continue reading Black Walnut trees – gathering, cracking and eating!
Aronia berries have the highest ORAC value of all known berries - so they must be good right? Read on and we will tell you what you need to know.... Aronia bushes are big, beautiful plants. They are cold hardy and drought tolerant. Their leaves are a round, glossy, deep green. We have never watered … Continue reading Eating Aronia Berries
