Honeybee_ Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - C. Marina Marchese [6]
Meanwhile, I overheard authentic beekeeping chitchat.
“How are your bees doing, Tom?” asked one woman.
“Two of my colonies are doing fine. They wintered over nicely. And the other swarmed last weekend, and I never did see where they settled down.”
“Yes, it’s swarm season, and we lost a couple of hives as well. Now I am looking for a new queen for one of my hives.”
A voice came over a loudspeaker, announcing the meeting was about to begin. A gentleman on the makeshift stage introduced himself as the president of the club. The crowd mellowed to a quiet hum as each beekeeper found a seat. I grabbed another honey cookie and sat in the back row with some handouts and my new book. As I looked around, I noticed the audience was a real mix of people from all walks of life. Whenever I had heard the word “beekeeper,” I imagined an elderly man with big hands, wearing a straw hat and coveralls; Peter Fonda in Ulee’s Gold immediately came to mind. But this group was full of men and women, gardeners and farmers, professionals and business types, artists and other creative souls.
The president announced the upcoming hive inspections and the many other bee-related educational opportunities that were open to club members. All these events and more were listed on the group’s Web site. Someone in the back of the room reminded the group there would be a honey swap that evening after the speaker. Honey swapping! That was something I definitely wanted to see.
Honey Almond Biscotti
SERVINGS: 36 COOKIES • PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened
¾ cup Red Bee® clover honey
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons anise seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon dried cranberries
¾ cup dried slivered almonds
preheat oven to 350°F.
Using electric mixture, beat butter until light; gradually add honey, eggs, and vanilla, beating until smooth. In a small bowl, combine flour, anise seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; gradually add to honey mixture, mixing well. Stir in cranberries and almonds.
Shape dough into two 10×3×1-inch logs on greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven to wire rack, and cool 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300°F. Transfer logs to cutting board. Cut each log into ½-inch slices; arrange pieces on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes or until crisp. Cool on wire racks.
Finally, the guest speaker was introduced. He was a well-respected entomologist and researcher who spoke about honeybees and the vital role they play in the pollination of our food. I listened with rapt attention throughout his entire lecture. There was so much new and interesting information to take in.
POLLINATION: WHY WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT IT
Before plants can grow, they need to be pollinated. Pollination is the first necessary step in the fertilization of all plants through the transfer of pollen, the sticky, yellowish dust produced by a plant’s flower. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating more than 100 agricultural crops in the United States, including fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, and sixteen types of flowers species.
Honeybees make at least twelve foraging trips in a single day, visiting several thousand flowers. Tempted by brilliant colors and pleasing scents of nectar, the honeybees are rewarded with pollen. The process of pollination begins with the tiny grains of pollen produced by the male reproductive part of a flower, which is called the anther. When this pollen is moved to the female part of a flower, called its stigma, pollination occurs. These pollen granules are transferred as they stick to the hairy bodies of worker bees during their visits to