Live Forever…

It’s getting cold and dark these days. The vines are dormant and the summer crops are gone from the organic garden and I’ve resorted to using a small space heater under my desk in my heat-challenged office and many of the vineyard workers have headed South to Mexico for a much-deserved winter break. Meanwhile, the bees in our three Estate hives are mostly hunkered down, basking in 95degree warmth and chowing down on honey. Lots of honey.

Honey bees use honey as fuel to heat the hive, especially during the cold winter months when the colony has stopped foraging for the season. That’s why beekeepers only harvest a calculated fraction of the honey in a managed hive, making sure to leave plenty for the well being of the bees (an average hive needs about 35 pounds of honey to securely carry it through the winter months).

Honey is really amazing stuff. It’s one of the oldest foods in existence (it was found in the tomb of King Tut) and it never spoils! It’s also extremely precious – an average worker bee makes only about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. And to top it off honey is delicious — the texture and flavor varying seasonally and geographically, depending on the forage source. That’s some very cool stuff and I guess that explains why humans have hunted and collected honey for at least the past 10,000 years.

So what exactly is honey? It’s pretty simple, really. Honey bees collect nectar from blooming flowers. The nectar is temporarily stored in the bee’s “honey stomach” in which it is partially digested via special enzymes. The nectar is then regurgitated into the cells of the honeycomb, fanned by the bee’s wings to induce evaporation and concentrate the nectar, and then it is sealed with a wax cap to prevent oxidation and spoilage. In a nutshell, honey is simply concentrated flower nectar. I guess that explains why it’s so tasty. But honey is oh so much more than just delicious…

Honey has been used for just about forever to treat an incredibly long list of ailments. It has seriously potent anti-microbial properties (remember, it never spoils?). Topically, it’s great for treating wounds and helps to reduce swelling and scarring. Honey has also been used for centuries as a treatment for sore throats and coughs, and according to recent research may in fact be as effective as many common cough medicines. It’s got cancer-fighting antioxidant properties (one antioxidant, pinocembrin, is only found in honey). It is often used for treating digestive problems such as diarrhea, indigestion, stomach ulcers and gastroenteritis. It’s a natural energy booster yet recognized as a treatment for insomnia. It helps prevent cavities. And the list goes on and on (I would encourage those interested to do a simple web search for more information).

I take at least 2 fat teaspoons a day, once with breakfast and once just before bed. For me it reduces the effects of my allergies (this is related to the flower pollen found in honey). But more than that honey just seems so incredibly natural and delicious and easy to find – it seems weird not to eat it!

Probably the very best reason to take honey, though, is to help its producer — the honey bee. By now, pretty much everyone knows that Colony Collapse Disorder is threatening the honey bee with extinction. Buying and consuming local honey from your local beekeeper is one great way to support management and research of bee colonies.

It’s just that simple. And delicious.

Peace & Honey

Tony

p.s. Speaking of bees, Our first annual Bee Day At Schlumberger will be held on June 5 of next year. We’re gonna celebrate all things bees with all sorts of special tours, talks, tastings and demonstrations. Mark those calendars!

Tagged as: bees, Dry Creek Valley, health, honey, Michel Schlumberger, organic farming