New find: Lavender honey from Busy Bee Farm in Southern New Jersey

After my story in the Phila. Daily News and chat about honey this month, a colleague gave me some lavender honey she's fond of from a South Jersey farm.

Pennsylvania paper has column on bees

In its regular Outdoors feature, the column talks about bees.

Warning in California about Africanized bees

The so-called "killer bees" are showing up in San Bernardino County, and, while their reputation as killers is exaggerated, they are easier provoked to sting. Important to remember, though, that, unprovoked, they are beneficial pollinators.

Study: City-bee honey tastier, farm-area bees struggle

This report from a website in India indicates that there is enough bioversity in cities to give bees a good taste of a lot of different plants (pollens) and that bees in farming areas could meet with lower-quality pollens and pesticides.

More local honey, this from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Zoo

Folks at the zoo knew they already had bees, so why not have them do what they do best?

Some neurotoxin in New Zealand honey...via other insects

Low levels of a neurotoxin are being found in certain New Zealand honey. From the news article:

Tutin gets into honey when bees collect honeydew excreted by passion vine hopper insects which have been feeding on the tutu plant. Tutin doesn't harm bees.

Honey in the war in Afghanistan

This blog reports about the use of agriculture to win over the Afghan civilians, including the establishment of hives.

Feature story in Philadelphia Daily News

Here is my feature story from today's Philadelphia Daily News on honey and beekeeping.

Beyond The Hive: How Ahmadinejad's policies hurt small business

This story talks about the struggles of small business in Iran. Here's a telling quote from one merchant:

Even our honey is 'made in China.' Two hundred fifty grams of Chinese honey costs $5, while high-quality Iranian honey costs $20. Who is going to buy the Iranian honey? So they gradually close down their businesses, as was the case with a sugar factory in Hafttappeh.

August 7 is National Mead Day

Some beer bloggers from Florida are quick to point out that Saturday, August 7, is National Mead Day. They include a primer on some mead basics.
Here's the news from the American Homebrewers Association.

Honey recipe contest

The National Honey Board has a contest for original recipes. Enter from now through Sept. 15. Click here for full contest details and an entry form.

Beyond The Hive: America's top farm markets

In honor of National Farmers Market week, the American Farmland Trust has released its lists of the top markets across the country.

Honey exec guilty in import case

An executive of a Chicago import firm pleaded guilty to conspiring to avoid $5 million in duties with mislabeled honey.

Bees ailing in South Dakota; pesticides to blame?

This article talks about some of the bee problems in South Dakota, one of the nation's leading honey producers. I like the mention of alfalfa honey. It's always cool to be reminded of yet another type.

Feral bees of LA

LA couple's beekeeping provides honey for friends and local restaurants.
Here's their website, though I have one quibble: They can't really guarantee that the honey is 100% organic, because bees can fly up to 3 miles to gather nectar, and there's no real guarantee that every last plant they visit is chemical-free.

San Francisco beekeeping

The Chronicle has a feature story about beekeeping in the Bay Area.