THE CLEAN UP.
Packing and cleaning don't make the best blog posts, but if you're wondering what we've been up to it's been a whole lot of that! In fact, we've spent much of the last few days deconstructing the garden, and cursing ourselves for being so thorough when we put it up!
We've also received two really sweet articles about our fundraising endeavor. The first was from Need More Acres in Bowling Green, Ky, which, if you're in the area tomorrow, please stop by Community Farmers Market and thank this family for us. And give them big hugs! They are donating all of their sales from this weekend to our campaign and we are deeply, tearfully thankful.Then the wonderful Savoring Kentucky posted a more-than-generous article about us and our campaign. We're speechless, or moved beyond words to be more accurate. This outpouring of support has been incredible and we can't wait to pay it back however we can, whenever we can, as often as we can.In moments like these––with this amount of tremendous support––we not only feel we can accomplish our goal, but that Kentucky can accomplish just about anything. The more we can chip in to help one injured set of farmers, the more others in the farming community can be less afraid of being crippled by disastrous circumstances. In a community, people live with less fear because, as we mentioned in an earlier post, when they fall, they fall into the arms of others. We're so thankful, but we're also equally excited to one day be able to return the favor, to help our community remain strong.We're over half-way to our goal! iIf you'd like to donate please follow this link. Every little bit helps!- Jesse.
A BUSY BEE WEEKEND.
This past Sunday, Jesse and I suddenly realized that if we were going to move our beehives to Bugtussle - we had to do it NOW. As in....on Monday. The weather seemed right, and I wanted to make sure they had some forage available in their new home before the winter set in. We scrambled to prepare, buying some ratchet ties and duct tape and other such securing devices, and we went to work. I spent all day Sunday working in the hives, removing the top super, harvesting the honey, and closing off the top entrance of the hivewith some fine wire mesh.I wasn't planning on harvesting any honey this year. I wanted to make sure these ladies had plenty of food stored away for their first winter. But. They hadn't been all that productive in the latest supers that I added. One extra, kind of empty box on the hives = just more space for them to have to heat throughout the winter. PLUS - one extra level on the hives just made them that much more difficult to move. So, a honey harvest we had! It was a small amount, all in all, probably a half gallon all together. BUT IT IS SO MAGICAL! Cutting into the comb and watching the delicious golden honey pour out into the jar below, I fell in love with bees all over again.
After the harvest, on Sunday night, I closed up the hives (by plugging the entrance with a t-shirt - very fancy) and Jesse helped me load them into the truck. We secured them as best we could, and we headed out on the 3 hour journey to Bugtussle at 5 AM the next morning.To make a long story short, it didn't go great. The bees escaped during the drive. It was pouring down rain at the moment we decided to unload the hives. I got stung in the butt. STILL - it could have been so much worse. After we placed the hives in their new home, the sun came out and we watched them take some orientation flights, getting their bearings and seeing Bugtussle for the first time. It makes me excited for our move very soon - when we can know, after a very stressful year, that we are DONE - we are in our FOREVER HOME and that our new life is just beginning.- Hannah.
YOUNG FARMER LOVE.
It would be thoroughly impossible to describe how moved we were to read this particular post from the wonderful family over at Need More Acres. If you live in Bowling Green, please support this family. And not just this weekend, but every weekend forever.
*photo from Need More Acres - some beautiful heirlooms!*