After seeing the rusty patched bumblebee disappear from almost 90 percent of its historic range over the past two decades, federal wildlife officials have made a formal recommendation to list this bumblebee as an endangered species. The recommendation comes from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service after the Portland, Oregon-based Xerces Society petitioned the agency…
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It would be disingenuous and wrong to label Roger Beattie of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand as just your average farmer. Then again, however, how does one describe someone who is a wild sheep breeder, a kelp entrepreneur, a blue pearl entrepreneur, and a would-be weka farmer? Beattie himself says he is an “environpreneur,” which in…
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While many may not know it, September was Bee Awareness Month—an entire month dedicated to honeybees and other bee species—and it’s in times like these that many learn just how important bees are beyond providing honey. Farmers, for instance, require honeybees for pollinating to ensure quality growth of pastures, horticulture, and arable crops. For pastoral…
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It’s likely we’ve all seen one of those commercials featuring neglected animals with the pictures and videos of them staring through cages in harsh conditions while looking malnourished. The sad, heartbreaking music usually plays in the background, and the desired result is a call to action from those watching to donate or give some of…
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Besides providing honey and pollinating crops, honeybees provide incredible amounts of knowledge just by existing as they have for millennia. From behaviors humans do not partake in, studies on how certain genetics developed over time, to demonstrating the effects of man on nature, honeybees never stop giving more for us to contemplate. One unexpected benefit…
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Apple-Raisin, Manuka Honey Challah Whether you simply love unique breads or are of Jewish heritage and are baking for the holidays, this Apple-Raisin, Manuka Honey Challah is like no other! Combing the traditional fluffy texture of bread with sweet fruits and Manuka honey, this 10-serving bread takes some time, effort, and probability a bit of…
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Iowa beekeepers have tripled in the last ten years, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture. Even more staggering is that membership in the Des Moines Backyard Beekeepers grew from 25 to more than 500 in just the last four years. With these additions comes more possible honeybee rescuers in the state of Iowa, and,…
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September marks the end of the harvesting honey season across the U.S. Every year, the National Honey Board decides how to celebrate the special sweetener produced by honeybees from the nectar of plants and flowers, and it would seem the state of California has found a great way to do it. California is increasingly learning…
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