Bees, Fruit Pollination, Honey & Beeswax
Healing Farm is home to honey, mason and bumblebees.
Honey bee hives are kept on Healing Farm to perform the critical function of pollinating fruit and nut trees, berry plants, grapevines and vegetables. Of course, they perform a much broader function in pollinating natural forest trees, wild flowers and shrubs. As a result, Healing Farm bees have a broad range of nectars to choose from: dandelions, maple trees, and fruit trees in early spring through to blackberries, raspberries, herbs, and other flowers from the nearby forests and fields throughout the summer and early fall. Our Maple trees, Alder, Almond, and Filberts also provide pollen as a valuable food source for bees as well.
Since the main function of our honey bees is pollination, we harvest a limited amount of honey from each hive in order to leave the bee's ample food to ensure that strong hives successfully over winter.
Mason bees provide a most valuable function in early spring to pollinate our cherry, plum and pear trees. In order to maintain a healthy population of mason bees, boxes have been built and placed in key orchard areas of Healing Farm.
A large variety of bumblebees is found throughout the farm and play a valuable role in the pollination of both wild and domestic flowers and shrubs.
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