24 Days of Giveaways - Day 12 The Birds & The Bees
Today we need to talk about the birds and the bees...and flowers of course.
Flowers and bees have been a friendly duo for millions of years. And why not? They have found a way to live together and even prosper from their unique relationship. It is as simple as, the flower needing to be pollinated to reproduce, and the pollinator or bee in this case, being provided with nectar which is the source of the energy they need to live. A truly symbiotic relationship. In fact it is important to understand that this ecosystem extends to humans as well. Agriculturalists will tell you more than one third of all food production worldwide depends on pollinators like bees. Where would we find ourselves with a shortfall of one third of our food supply?
Flowers have evolved over time to attract more bees. Flowers will change their colour, odour, size and shape, even timing in order to attract bees. For example, bees will prioritize sweeter and minty scented flowers over others, so, flowers have evolved to smell a certain way just for bees.
Now, most flower farms won’t keep honey bees on the property. They do this to protect their crop. That’s right protection; you see after a flower has been pollinated it begins to pick up speed on its final journey. The process of aging rapidly advances, and the cell’s of the flower begin to lose the power of division and growth. It’s getting ready to make seeds. Here at Stems Flower Farm we have made a commitment to the overall health of our land and not just to some of our flowers. The pros far outweigh the cons when it comes to keeping bees around.
After investigating several local apiary providers and hive lenders, only one was interested enough to explain all the details and provide such flexible arrangements as Belicious Products.
Chris, who is a third generation beekeeper, and a member of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association, really knows his stuff. And he is a raw honey enthusiast. He has even been known to give impromptu tours if we have guests while he is here checking on things. Chris has also found a kindred spirit in Caiden, our youngest, who Chris outfitted with his own bee suit this summer so he could be his official assistant on the farm. Caiden now feels it is his responsibility to conduct tours in Chris’ absence, much to the delight of many of our guests this past summer.
Belicious products are available at their own website beliciousproducts.com and include not only some of the best honey you will ever try, but bath and body products made with honey and beeswax candles as well. If you have only ever bought commercially processed honey you should try local raw honey and experience the extra nutrients and taste.
Day 12 of our 24 Days of Giveaways is a selection of honey products from our Beekeepers, Belicious Products. An assortment of Iced Honey, raw honey, and honey mustard which is sure to make you consider buying direct from a beekeeper for all your future honey needs.
For a chance to win leave a comment below. In your message, share how you help pollinators in your garden, or tell us what role raw honey plays in your life, anything really, as long as it puts a smile on everybody’s face. EASY. This giveaway is open to anyone with a Canadian shipping address. This Giveaway is open until Sunday night December 19th at Midnight PT.
UPDATE: Congratulations to our winner, Stephanie F
Of course, if you know someone who would be inspired by browsing our selection of giftables, please share!
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