#so buy honey from small local beekeepers

[schattenhonig]

In primary school, we had all these semi-exciting field trips to local people producing things like apple juice and honey, to see how it's done and learn about it. It was a field trip, so yay, but why the heck would we need to know how apple juice is made and why bees wiggle their fluffy butts?

I see now that this was actually invaluable as education goes.

Also, my uncle used to keep bees, so I learned a thing or two when we were extracting honey. So, here's my humble addition:

There is one interaction between bees and humans that actually kills bees, and it's the stinging. Their stinger has evolved as a weapon to protect the honey from other insects like wasps, which have an exo skeleton as well. Their stingers are not made for the soft skin of mammals and as such stay put once the bee stung you. But because they're not kamikaze insects, they usually want to get away from the danger they just startled and poisoned (yes, bees have poison glands), thus ripping out the stinger and sometimes even the poison gland. This is lethal for the bee, sadly.

But because beekeepers don't like to be stung and don't want the bees to die every time they take a look at the hive, they invented protective clothing and learned to use an inherent instinct of the bees: wild bee hives live in trees, which are flammable. Wax is flammable. The hive gets quite warm (bees do have an air cooling system), and since they don't like to start over just because their home tree burnt down, they take what they can, filling a special organ called the honey bladder (I hope it's called that in English, it's a literal translation) which is next to the poison gland. They lick up so much of honey that the stinger and the poison gland get pinned in place, rendering them unable to sting. I guess you don't care as much about wasps taking some of your honey when you have to evacuate.

To use this instinct, beekeepers have a special tool that emits smoke, usually fumigating tansy. Some beekeepers smoke a pipe. The bees think there's a forest fire, take all the honey they can get and don't sting, thus survive the whole thing. They return later on, putting back the honey.

And another thing: late in the summer when flowers get more scarce and the beekeeper took a lot of the honey, the bees get pampered with sugary water to rebuild their pantry.

Plus, getting their hive raided is part of their life even in nature, just think of bears. The beekeeper is usually a lot more friendly and caring.

vegans make peace with honey

no shut up do it

[geohoneylovers]

Bee Conservation Techniques: How To Protect Our Pollinators

Bees are an important part of our ecosystem and they are key contributors to maintaining a steady global food supply. Apart from bringing us the sweet yellow treasure we know as monofloral raw honey; these pollinators are also responsible for starting the reproduction cycles of a vast variety of flora.

Unfortunately, the bee population worldwide is decreasing faster than ever mainly due to habitat destruction, use of pesticides, and overall toxic human activities.

The founder of GEOHONEY and the CEO of BA Barry group Mr. Basem Barry has also expressed concern in this regard. According to him 

“Bees are in danger and it is upon us to take immediate action both individually and collectively. It can be as small as growing more flowers and supporting the local beekeepers. Bees have always been doing their part and now it is time for us to do ours.”

This blog explores some of the easiest and most effective bee conservation techniques that anyone can use to protect these precious creatures from going extinct. So keep reading to find out the best ways to protect our pollinators.

The Importance of Bee Conservation

Bee Conservation Techniques

Plant More Bee-Friendly Flowers

Minimize the Use of Pesticides

Give Proper Nesting Places to Bees

Support Local Beekeepers and Organizations

Become a Lazy Gardener

Limit the Use of Artificial Lighting At Night

The Importance of Bee Conservation

Before we look into some effective and easy bee conservation methods, it is better if we discuss a little about exactly why there is a need for you to conserve bees.

Well, for one thing, these bees collect the nectar of flowers and process it in beehives to give us monofloral Honey which is an adored sweetener across the globe. According to an estimate, bees create more than 300 types of honey in different parts of the world.

However, this is not the only thing they do. Bees are also responsible for producing more than a third of all the food in the world. How do they manage that? Well, when collecting nectar from flowers for making monofloral honey, these creatures also collect a yellow powdery substance known as pollen on their legs.

When bees move to another plant or some other flower of the same plant, they drop this pollen inside them which triggers their reproduction cycles. This process is often referred to as Pollination.

This way bees directly impact the growth of a wide range of plants, wildflowers, trees, and shrubs as well as the animals who rely on these things for survival. This shows how vital bees are for our planet making it clear why you need to make bee conservation efforts on your part.  

Bee Conservation Techniques

Following are some effective bee conservation techniques that you can use to protect these pollinators

Plant More Bee-Friendly Flowers

The easiest way to conserve bees is by planting bee-friendly flowers preferably ones that are native to your area. These flowers are favored by the bees and they do not need very high maintenance to thrive.

You can find a suitable place on your rooftop, balcony, lawn, backyard, community gardens, and vacant lots to plant these flowers for bees to feed on. 

Minimize the Use of Pesticides

Pesticides and herbicides are deadly for bees as they contain highly toxic components. You need to avoid using them, especially during the flowering season. This is the time when bees are more active and you need to ensure when they visit your flowers or garden, they get a safe place to collect nectar.

One way to minimize the use of pesticides is to grow native plant species that have evolved in the local ecosystem and are more resistant to native pests.

Give Proper Nesting Places to Bees

You can either buy bee houses or bee hotels from garden centers or you can drill holes in wood or bunch together hollow plant stems or bamboo cans to provide bees with proper nesting places.

This can give bees a safe place for laying their eggs and resting when they are not busy pollinating or collecting nectar for making pure monofloral honey.

Support Local Beekeepers and Organizations

It is a well-known fact that climate change is affecting bees and the local beekeepers and apiarists are the only thing that is standing in the way of these creatures and extinction.

You need to look for local beekeepers and organizations that use sustainable beekeeping practices and are making a conscious effort to conserve bees. By supporting them financially or buying honey and beeswax products from them instead of the isles of some supermarket chains, you can ensure they are able to provide bees with a healthy environment.

Become a Lazy Gardener

Bees love to forage in lazy gardens where there are twigs or leaves scattered that they can use for nesting. About 30% of all bees live in holes in trees or hollow plant stems. By leaving these behind, you can give bees a cozy home where they can rest especially during winter.

Limit the Use of Artificial Lighting at Night

Intense outdoor lights in your lawn or garden can impact the navigation of bees. They also disrupt bee behavior which directly influences their ability to collect nectar and pollinate flora.

You can limit this use by installing motion-sensing lights in these areas. This can provide a more natural and safer environment for bees to pollinate during nighttime.

Conclusion

When it comes to bee conservation, every single step you take matters more than you can imagine. These tiny pollinators need to be protected so that our ecosystem and food supply do not face any disruptions or threats.

By doing very simple things like planting more trees and flowers, avoiding the use of pesticides as much as possible, and providing bees with proper nesting places, you can give them the necessary support and protection that they need to grow and keep doing what good they do for us.

Geohoney is the leading honey brand based in Dubai with over 130 farms equipped with the latest new-tech monofloral initiatives. Our 100% pure, raw, and natural monofloral honey is carefully prepared using single nectar sources which ensures both a high concentration of nutrients and enzymes.

Working with worldwide beekeepers from more than 53 countries Goehoney strives to produce monofloral honey that meets the highest global quality control standards while using environmentally sustainable resources and adhering to socially responsible policies.Visit GEOHONEY today to order from our wide range of pure monofloral honey gathered from farms around the world.

Conclusion When it comes to bee conservation, every single step you take matters more than you can imagine. These tiny pollinators need to be protected so that our ecosystem and food supply do not face any disruptions or threats. By doing very simple things like planting more trees and flowers, avoiding the use of pesticides as much as possible, and providing bees with proper nesting places, you can give them the necessary support and protection that they need to grow and keep doing what good they do for us. Visit GEOHONEY today to order from our wide range of pure monofloral honey gathered from farms around the world.

Blog Source: Bee Conservation Techniques

[meyerbees]

Honey Bee Queens for Sale: Strengthen Your Colony with Meyer Bees

For beekeepers, the queen bee is the heart of the hive. The health, productivity, and overall stability of your colony depend heavily on the quality of your queen bee. If you are looking to strengthen your hive or replace an aging queen, Meyer Bees offers honey bee queens for sale that are bred for strength, fertility, and disease resistance. With our high-quality queens, you can ensure the success of your beekeeping venture.

Why Is Queen Bee Important in a Hive?

The queen bee, being the only fertile female, is responsible for laying eggs that will grow into worker bees, drones, or even a future queen. A strong, healthy queen ensures a productive hive with a consistent brood pattern and a large population of worker bees. She also produces pheromones that help maintain order within the colony.

When you choose honey bee queens for sale from a trusted source like Meyer Bees, you ensure that your hive has the best chance to thrive.

Signs You Need a New Queen Bee

There are several reasons why you may need to introduce a new queen to your hive. Some of the most common reasons include:

Decreased Egg Production: If your hive's egg production begins to decline, it could be a sign that your current queen is aging or not performing optimally.

Poor Brood Pattern: A healthy queen lays eggs in a solid, consistent pattern. If you notice patchy brood areas, it could indicate a failing queen.

Aggressive Behavior: When a hive becomes overly aggressive, it may be due to poor queen pheromone production, signaling the need for a replacement.

By looking out for these signs, you can determine the best time to introduce one of our honey bee queens for sale to your hive.

Choosing the Right Queen Bee

At Meyer Bees, we understand that not all queens are the same. That's why we provide a variety of honey bee queens for sale, each carefully bred for different characteristics to meet your colony's specific needs. Some factors to consider when choosing a new queen include:

Genetics: Different queen lines are bred for traits like disease resistance, honey production, or calm temperament. It's important to select a queen that aligns with your beekeeping goals.

Mating Quality: Well-mated queens tend to produce larger populations of healthy worker bees and are less likely to fail.

Local Adaptation: Choosing a queen that is bred locally or suited to your region's climate can lead to better colony survival rates.

Our honey bee queens for sale at Meyer Bees are bred for robust health, high fertility, and strong brood production, ensuring your colony can thrive in a variety of conditions.

Benefits of Buying Queen Bees from Meyer Bees

When you purchase honey bee queens for sale from Meyer Bees, you are investing in the long-term success of your hive. Here's why beekeepers trust us:

Quality Breeding: Our queens are bred from strong, healthy colonies with excellent genetic traits. Each queen is inspected for vitality and health before being sold.

Disease Resistance: Our queens are selected for their ability to resist common diseases, such as American foulbrood and varroa mites, helping your colony stay healthy.

Fast Delivery: Timing is crucial when it comes to replacing a queen. Meyer Bees offers fast and reliable delivery to ensure that your new queen arrives quickly and safely.

How to Introduce a New Queen to Your Hive

Once you've purchased a queen from Meyer Bees, you must introduce her to your hive carefully to ensure her acceptance. Here are some key steps to follow:

Remove the Old Queen: Before introducing a new queen, ensure the old queen has been removed from the hive.

Place the Queen in a Cage: Your new queen will arrive in a small cage with worker bees and a candy plug. Place this cage inside the hive so the colony can gradually become familiar with her scent.

Allow for Gradual Introduction: The bees will eat through the candy plug over the course of a few days, allowing the new queen to be released into the hive.

Monitor the Hive: After the new queen is introduced, monitor the hive closely to ensure she is laying eggs and being accepted by the worker bees.

At Meyer Bees, we are committed to providing high-quality honey bee queens for sale that are ready to lead your colony to success.

Conclusion

If you're in need of a new queen bee to enhance your hive's productivity and health, Meyer Bees offers top-quality honey bee queens for sale. Our queens are bred for strength, disease resistance, and high brood production, ensuring your colony thrives. Visit Meyer Bees today to learn more about our selection and find the perfect queen for your hive.

[iregain]

Unlocking the Sweet Benefits: Shop Natural Honey Bomb for a Healthier You

In the world of natural remedies and holistic wellness, there's a sweet and golden elixir that has been cherished for centuries – honey. But not just any honey; we're talking about the exquisite and potent "Natural Honey Bomb." This extraordinary honey variant has taken the health and wellness scene by storm, and today, we're going to delve into what makes it so special and why you should consider adding it to your pantry.

The Buzz About Natural Honey Bomb

Natural Honey Bomb is not your ordinary honey; it's a superior grade of honey derived from the nectar of various wildflowers and plants. It's unprocessed, unpasteurized, and, most importantly, it's unadulterated. This means that it retains all of its Shop Natural Honey Bomb natural enzymes, vitamins, and antioxidants, making it a true nutritional powerhouse.

One of the primary characteristics that sets Natural Honey Bomb apart is its incredible taste. With a rich and complex flavor profile that can range from floral and fruity to earthy and bold, this honey adds a burst of natural sweetness to your culinary creations. Drizzle it over yogurt, use it as a natural sweetener for your tea, or incorporate it into salad dressings for an unparalleled taste experience.

A Bounty of Health Benefits

Natural Honey Bomb isn't just about satisfying your sweet tooth; it's also packed with health benefits that can positively impact your well-being. Here are some of the reasons why you should consider making it a staple in your kitchen:

Antioxidant Powerhouse: Natural Honey Bomb is teeming with antioxidants, which help combat oxidative stress and protect your cells from damage. These antioxidants can contribute to improved overall health and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.

Natural Energy Booster: Need an energy kick without reaching for sugary energy drinks? A spoonful of Natural Honey Bomb can provide a natural and sustained energy boost, making it an ideal pre-workout snack or afternoon pick-me-up.

Soothing Sore Throats: The antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of Natural Honey Bomb make it a go-to remedy for soothing sore throats and coughs. Simply mix it with warm water and lemon for a comforting and healing drink.

Digestive Health: The enzymes found in this honey variant can aid in digestion and alleviate symptoms of indigestion. It can also support a healthy gut microbiome.

Skin Nourishment: When applied topically, Natural Honey Bomb can moisturize and nourish the skin, leaving it soft and radiant. It's a natural alternative to commercial skincare products filled with chemicals.

Allergy Relief: Consuming locally sourced Natural Honey Bomb may help alleviate seasonal allergies by exposing your body to small amounts of pollen, gradually building tolerance.

Where to Shop Natural Honey Bomb

Now that you're convinced of the wonders of Natural Honey Bomb, you might be wondering where to get your hands on this liquid gold. Thankfully, many local beekeepers and artisanal honey producers offer this exceptional honey variety. You can visit farmers' markets, health food stores, or even order it online from reputable sellers.

When shopping for Natural Honey Bomb, remember to look for words like "raw," "unfiltered," and "unpasteurized" on the label. These indicate that the honey has been minimally processed and retains its full nutritional value.

For More Info :-

Buy Rocky Pure Vital Royal Honey

[the-vegan-muser]

1. The vast majority of agave is harvested for tequila, not honey alternatives. (I still don’t use agave, so don’t come for me about that.)

2. Domesticated honey bees are harmful to native bee populations because they compete for resources. So buying [most] honey doesn’t save the bees (well, not the ones who need saving), it does the opposite. Some beekeepers do keep bees in ways that don’t affect native populations, but many don’t. If you’re not going to give up honey, research where you can get honey that’s made in the least harmful way.

3. The only reason sheep make so much wool is because they’ve been selectively bred to produce an obscene amount of wool, and buying wool encourages this to continue. Sheering sheep is a stressful process (I’ve worked with sheep and alpacas in a non-agricultural setting and have seen this firsthand) and only has to be done because sheep have been bred to overproduce wool for human usage.

4. Chickens have been bred to produce an obscene amount of eggs and the vast majority of egg chickens are kept in awful conditions. But if you’re not going to give up eggs, I do agree with prev’s statement that you should buy them from a small local farmer rather than from the store.

If anyone has any questions about anything I’ve added to this post, please feel free to reach out! And please be nice, I’m not trying to be combative or accusatory, I just want to educate people and help animals. 💚

Vegans of tumblr, listen up. Harvesting agave in the quantities required so you dont have to eat honey is killing mexican long-nosed bats. They feed off the nectar and pollinate the plants. They need the agave. You want to help the environment? Go back to honey. Your liver and thyroid will thank you, as well. Agave is 90% fructose, which can cause a host of issues. Bye.

[naturalhoneytotreatcoldsand]

The Benefits of Fluba Anaba Honey

The extraordinary benefits of Fluba Anaba Honey

For many centuries, honey has been used to treat a number of health conditions. It is a natural and nutritious sweetener, which has a wide range of properties to help with digestion and improve immunity.

It can also reduce the symptoms of allergies and respiratory problems such as hay fever, asthma and coughs by suppressing inflammation. It can even be used to soothe sore throats and relieve dryness in the mouth, nose and throat.

The best way to enjoy the benefits of honey is by consuming raw, unprocessed, locally produced and organic honey. This will give you the full benefit of the phytonutrients in honey, which are responsible for its antioxidant and immune-boosting abilities.

Choosing the right type of honey for you

The most important thing to remember when buying honey is that you should look for the label, as this will tell you if the product is pure and has not been processed. It will also mention if it is raw or pasteurised, and where it came from.

This will ensure you are purchasing the real deal, as some honey products contain additives and other ingredients that can cause serious health problems. It is also a good idea to buy from a small local beekeeper, as this will help support their livelihood.

Another tip is to find out what kind of flowers the bees are foraging on, as this will affect the taste and nutritional value of the honey you choose. For example, if you live along the coast, you may want to get a honey that contains clover. Similarly, someone who lives in a forest or mountainous area would likely need a bush honey.

Besides being an incredibly tasty and healthy choice for your diet, honey is also an excellent natural remedy for a number of health conditions including constipation, arthritis and high blood pressure. It is a rich source of fructooligosaccharides (FOS), which promote bowel movements, take out faecal matter and undigested foods.

It is also a very effective remedy for heart disease because it neutralizes free radicals that are causing plaque build-up in the arteries. This will prevent a heart attack or stroke.

The other important factor to remember is to eat honey in moderation, especially if you have a health condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Consuming too much can lead to a spike in your sugar levels, which will result in more serious health problems.

So, the next time you are looking for a healthy sweetener, try adding a teaspoon of honey to your tea, toast or cereal. It will be a welcome addition to your daily diet and add a lot of flavour, too! Click here to grasp additional details visit Manfaat luar biasa dari Madu Fluba Anaba

It is a great alternative to processed and refined sugar, as it is full of vitamins, minerals and nutrients. It is also easy to digest and assimilated, unlike other sweeteners. It does not cause flatulence and can be eaten at any time of the day, including during meals. It is also known to reduce the symptoms of diarrhoea, as it has enzymes that aid in digestion.

[acti-veg]

This is something I don't talk about as I know little on it. But honey. I know people are anti the supermarket brands because of smoking practices to get the honey. But what about the small local people who use the honey to help support the hive they're protecting? Obviously it's not vegan by definition. Like on the ethics scale would that be okay? Like using the eggs from chickens you rescued and are in no way exploited. Just want another voice so I can think on it better.

Thank you)

I have written a basic summary of the issues with honey production here if you’re interested.

Fundamentally though, there is just no reason to take and sell honey from a managed hive. Keep in mind that most honey comes from non-native species, these are managed and introduced hives - it is not the case that beekeepers are just ‘helping’ out animals that would already be there.

If beekeepers wanted to help bees, they’d be planting bee friendly flowers and providing shelters for natural pollinators, who are struggling and are far better for local fauna. If the bees were local and being housed for conservation purposes, then that would be a non-profit who certainly wouldn’t be taking and selling their honey.

Bees work their whole lives to produce a single teaspoon of honey - it is not just an incidental byproduct they make as waste. What it comes down to is that we vegans, we object to any and all insurances of using animals for profit, or treating them as commodities in any other way. This alone is enough for us to realise that buying honey or eggs, no matter how ‘nicely’ the animal is treated, goes directly against vegan ethics.

[writingindarkness]

Ok but like.

I get where y’all coming from, and I want to stress that I’m not a vegan and agree with most of your takes here. However…

Chicken do eat their eggs if you don’t collect them and it actually supplements their nutrition and is good for their health. Obviously taking some is ok, especially if you have a big production, but an argument can definitely be made for some level of animal exploitation, especially in regard to industrial egg production -those chicken live in dreadful conditions, and reducing demand (either by no longer eating eggs at all or, if one can afford to, by switching to a more expensive brand that treats its animals better) is definitely a way to help.

The overwhelming majority of soy production at the moment is used to feed cattle. I don’t have the number handy but I’ve seen them several times and human soy consumption is so small compared to cattle. You can make a lot of reproach against the vegan movements and the bullshit they pull, but introducing soy in their diet to replace part of their animal produce intake is NOT the ecological and human disaster many of you seem to want to put on them. Please look beyond your own bias before expecting others to do the same.

Honey production is the same as egg production: maybe your local beekeeper has researched the kind of bees that is native to your area and takes care of their bees without cropping the wings of the queen to keep them from leaving. But maybe they don’t, and industrial production of honey definitely doesn’t care about any of that! So if you have the means, buy the more expensive but ethically sourced honey (I do that), but if you don’t, it’s ok and actually makes sense to go for an other source of sucrose.

So like, yeah, veganism isn’t the fix-all answer to all our problems many vegan people seem to believe it is, and extreme veganism coupled with racism, neocolonialism, capitalist and ethnocentrism is actually evil and making things worse and needs to be addressed, leather is ten times better than plastic, etc. But also: please refrain from embracing any and all anti-veganism discourse you see. Some of it actually does make sense.

(Again: this guy ain’t even strictly vegetarian, be cool.)

anti-egg vegans are always a hoot. like, she’s not using it. it’s not fertilized. it’s going to rot and attract predators. you want me to just throw it in the trash??

[quantumlocked310]

Order Up! Part 1 of 2

Extra Hot Hvitserk Macchiato for @alexhandersen-marcoilsoe-fandom on the bar!

Summary: You finally run into the cute barista from your favorite coffee shop when he’s not working. Will he be charming enough to lure you into bed? Or are you confident enough to invite him in yourself?

Warnings: Tooth Rotting Fluff, Slow Burn, Smut will be in Chapter 2

Note: This is technically a sequel, but can be read without reading Pour Overs and Pastries. (but that one is really cute, so you absolutely should if you haven’t)

Crossposted on AO3

+++++

The new job was going swimmingly. Your coworkers loved you, and you were crushing problems left and right. You’d even saved the company several thousand Krone by finding a smoother, more efficient way to execute some accounting procedures. The company was so happy they’d taken the chance on you, even though they had to go through all the trouble of coordinating the visa and moving you from New York to Denmark.

You’d fallen in love with the city, and your new life. Each workday you begin with coffee from Lothbrothers. The office has a little kiosk in the foyer, but the coffee from the little shop with the cute barista is worth the extra expense.

For three months your morning routine is peppered with pleasant conversation from Sigurd, local gossip with Ivar, and a whole bunch of covert staring at the muscles in Hvitserk’s back as he putters around the bar.

Two weeks into your daily trips to the shop, Ivar had turned to you while waiting for your drink and demanded your name saying, “Du er kommet her i to uger…” before seeing the look of immense confusion on your face and switching to English while rolling his eyes. “You’ve been coming here for two weeks now. Guess you’re a regular. Why are you in Denmark?”

You’re a little taken aback at his abrupt tone, but seeing as he has spent the last two weeks staring holes into his computer it is possible he’s just a little intense. You turn to him and say “A new job. I moved from New York,” but almost can’t spit it out, because as soon as you turn to answer him his icy blue eyes capture you in their magnetic pull.

You blink and he’s no longer looking you in the eye. “New York is a long way. Why Denmark?”

Shrugging you rest a hip on the counter and check your watch quickly. “It was the first overseas company I found willing to hire an American in the position I wanted. I’m very lucky, and very good at my job. Not to mention the perk of viking men.” You wink at this handsome stranger, and he looks away, a little flustered. Perhaps if you can’t catch the barista’s eye, you’ll have fun with this Dane instead.

“Latte for Y/N.” A voice growls from your side, and you turn around to grab your drink.

“Thank you, Hvits…” He is gone before you can finish his name, without so much as a “Thank you for coming,” like usual.

You frown, but suppose it must be busier than usual and turn back to the stranger you’d been conversing with. “Excuse me, I have to run to work, but it was very nice to meet you.”

“And you as well.” The stranger waves you off, and you scurry away, mind a flurry with thoughts of what you could’ve possibly done to piss off the cute barista. Was he just busy? Did you say something to the stranger that made him angry? You realize you never got the stranger’s name, but the rest of the anxious thoughts flow away with the calming walk to your office building.

+++++

The next day you learn the stranger’s name is Ivar, and you strike up an interesting friendship. Each morning you greet each other and while you wait for coffee he tells you all about the other patrons. You learn the large man on the bench from your first day is Bjorn, Ivar’s half brother. “But that’s a story for over drinks, not coffee.” You laugh together, but you have to go before he can ask you out for those drinks.

Ivar says the man at the window is the leader of a local church. Not a priest, and not a cult leader, but almost. Ivar is unashamed about his belief in their higher power, but makes it clear he doesn’t have a large commitment to Loki’s teaching specifically. The way he speaks of the older man, it seems like something had happened between the two, but Ivar is stubborn and refuses to speak anymore on the subject.

After six weeks of talking, Ivar tells you he’s an editor for a major Danish publisher. His sharp and ruthless mind makes sure no mistake is unaddressed and you get to sample some of the works he reads as he complains about plot holes or token characters.

Ivar seems to know everyone in the cafe, or can at least point someone out as new and predict if they will come back or not. Hvitserk will sometimes chime in with a comment about a patron. That they like this or that drink. That they don’t like raisins. That he thinks yellow isn’t their color. Or he bets they work for this lawyer or that restaurant.

Over the weeks you find out more little things about the two men, and you stop flirting with Ivar. You’ve noticed it gets him flustered and he seems to actually get uncomfortable, but he refuses to talk about it and changes the subject whenever you try. So you move on, and continue the friendly banter and non-sexual subjects. You’ve learned Hvitserk will stand up for the other employees. When someone is rude to Sigurd he will take over with a menacing glare and put in their order without a smile. If he hears harassing comments from people in line he will kick them out without thought, and Ivar supports him every time.

Your affection for Lothbrothers grows with every week you spend going to the coffeeshop, and your friendship with Ivar, and your crush on Hvitserk soar with it too.

+++++

Bright and early Saturday morning finds you browsing the local market for fresh finds. On the weekends you indulge your Farmer’s Market Aesthetic side and cook anything you can find. You’ve even started to befriend one of the local boulangers after he realized you love to hear about his process for choosing bread flavors for the day.

While talking to Pierre about his sourdough starter, you notice out of the corner of your eye a tall man approach the market stall. Pierre pauses in your conversation and you turn to get a better look at who is buying.

“Hvitserk?” His name slips out of your mouth in shock. You’d never run into anyone you know, who wasn’t a vendor, at this market before.

His head whips around, eyes impossibly wide as he stares at you, clearly thinking something similar.

“It’s Y/N. From the coffeeshop. Good Morning!”

���Yes, Y/N. Ivar’s new friend. Good morning.” He seems to pause, perhaps thinking about if it’s socially acceptable to turn tail and run. But then he simply asks “How are you?”

“I am well thank you. All the better for Pierre’s delicacies.” You smile toward the seller then ask, “How are you?”

“Well also, thanks. Do you come to this market often?”

“Only every Saturday for the past, oh, five weeks? Do you come here often, as well?”

“I have not been back in a long time.” He seems to think inwardly for a moment before coming back to the present. You wonder what makes him look like that. Who ruined this peaceful market for this gorgeous man?

“Well then you won’t have met Sara yet!” You grab his free hand and start pulling him toward one of the newer market stalls. On the way over you seem to realize what you’ve done, and try to pull your hand away out of propriety, but Hvitserk tightens his hold just a little and you can feel your face heat as you continue to hold hands.

There are a few people in line when you arrive, so you continue to make small talk, asking “So what made you decide to come to the market today?”

“I like to see what’s new or in season to add to the menu for the shop. Unfortunately the schedule doesn’t always allow me to scope things out as often as I like. Yourself?”

“I try to cook locally on the weekends, since I don’t have time during the week. There is amazing produce here, wait ‘till you try…” You’re interrupted by Sara proclaiming “My favorite customer!”

You laugh and hug your friend awkwardly over the counter. “Good morning, Sara. I want you to meet Hvitserk. He’s the barista at that amazing cafe by my apartment.”

“Co-Owner and barista, actually. It’s nice to meet you.” He reaches out his hand to greet Sara.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn't realize. How cool!” In all your talks, Ivar had never mentioned. You panic for a quick second before continuing. “Sara is the best beekeeper in all of the North. She also works part time with me in the office.”

“Welcome to ‘Sweet as Honey’! What can I get for you?” Sara chimes in with a big smile.

“He wants the small tasting jars. Lavender, Jalapeno, and Chai.” You turn to Hvisterk “Her flavors are ingenious and she comes up with new ones all the time. She brings in samples to work, so I'm both spoiled and biased.”

“I can’t wait.” He smiles softly. You go to pull out your wallet, but Hvitserk is already handing Sara some Krone. “You’ve bought enough coffee from me. I think I should return the favor.” He winks and inside you swoon a little. His flirty smile is a welcome change from the cool professionalism you get from him at Lothbrothers’.

“Thank you for stopping by! It was nice to meet you Hvitserk. I’ll see you on Monday, Y/N?”

“Bye, Sara! See you then.” As Hvisterk turns to walk away, Sara looks at you and points at him, then fans herself and pretends to faint. You give her a quelling look and shake your head no. She gives you an incredulous look in return, as if to say “Why not?” You shrug briefly thinking “I don’t know where this is going.”

You turn around to find Hvitserk has claimed a small bench by a tree a few feet away from Sweet as Honey. He pulls out the first of the jars, a small bag with six little cubes of bread inside, and a tiny wooden stirring stick. The heat of his body is scalding where you can feel it next to you, the bench only large enough to allow a sliver of air between you.

His large hands open the top on the Chai infused honey, and you watch his long fingers use the tiny stick to spread just enough honey on the first of the bread cubes. He offers you the cube. It would take nothing to grab it from him and pop it in your mouth, but you hesitate. He’s offered it at face level, so you take the chance. Your plump lips wrap around the soft bread, and your tongue sneaks out to lick any remaining honey off the tip of his thumb and forefinger.

In the time it takes you to chew and swallow he has acquired his own piece of honeyed bread. His is prepared lightning fast while barely taking his eyes off your face. The green of his iris is just a sliver, almost completely taken over by the black of his dilated pupils.

A quiet moan seems to force its way out of his chest as you make eye contact. “How does she get the delicate blend of cardamom and cinnamon?”

You clear your throat, but your voice is still a little husky. “I told you she was a genius. Try the Jalapeno.”

Together you try all the honeys, and Hvitserk comments on the balance of flavors, the texture, and how he would love to use some of them in either the pastries or the drinks at the shop. He also reveals that while they now have some bakers help in the morning, Hvitserk is still the one who recipe tests and makes all the menu decisions.

He puts his hand on your knee. “Stay here for a moment while I talk to Sara? I’ll be right back.” You watch him walk away and stare unabashedly at his ass perfectly hugged by his skinny jeans. He talks to the beekeeper, and you watch them exchange business cards

This day has turned out to be amazing, and you don’t want it to be over. Hvitserk has turned out to be an incredible conversation partner, and you can feel in your gut that the two of you click in a way you haven’t felt in a while.

When he returns, Hvitserk offers you both hands to help you from the bench. You take them, and as soon as you stand up you blurt out, “Come over for dinner tonight?” You wince at your tactlessness, but continue with “I bought so many good ingredients, and it would be an honor to share them with you.”

“I’m at Lothbrothers’ until 7. Can I come by after that?”

“7 is great. What’s your number? I can text you the address.”

You both exchange phones and add the new contact. When he gives yours back, you see he’s put Hvitserk Lothbrok in, but he’s also listed himself as “Hot Barista.” You roll your eyes at him when you look back up, and he throws you a flirty wink before saying goodbye and giving you a kiss on the cheek as well.

After watching him walk away you run back home and start prepping the menu, cleaning your apartment, and making sure you have some good wine to go with the meal.

Read Chapter 2 here.

Tag List: @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie​ @appledressing​

[nwbeerguide]

Now, in its 25th year, Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the return of Mad Elf.

Press Release

HERSHEY, PA – Tröegs Independent Brewing announces the release of its iconic holiday ale, Mad Elf. Currently celebrating its 25th anniversary as a brewery, Tröegs reaches another milestone with the twentieth annual release of Mad Elf.

Back in the fall of 2002, Tröegs co-founding brothers Chris and John Trogner hatched a plan to brew a big, festive Belgian-style ale with cherries and honey to enjoy over the holidays. Little did they know that the beer would help put their brewery on the map and – two decades later – become a beer that is synonymous with the holiday season.

“Mad Elf captures so many things about the holidays for so many people,” says Chris Trogner. “And not just beer lovers. A lot of people who typically don’t drink beer have a special connection with Mad Elf.”

The essence of this once-a-year holiday ale, along with its ruby red glow, is born from five varieties of tree-ripened cherries. Bing, Lambert, Van, and Royal Ann contribute a bright and juicy sweetness, and Montmorency adds a touch of tartness.

In addition to cherries, Pennsylvania honey is the other key ingredient in Mad Elf. Each year, Tröegs sources 25,000 pounds of local wildflower honey from The Happy Beekeeper in nearby Carlisle, PA.

Whether it’s the beer’s festive nature, nostalgia, decadence, flavors or whimsy, many fans feel Mad Elf captures the holiday season in a glass.

“We like to say that it’s not the holidays until you’ve had your first Mad Elf,” adds John Trogner.

Mad Elf is available in 12-oz. cans and bottles at the brewery and throughout Pennsylvania starting this week, and everywhere else Tröegs beer is sold over the next few weeks. Look for Mad Elf on draft beginning in mid-November.

To learn more about Mad Elf, including its origins and brewing process, please visit the Tröegs blog.

Mad Elf has been a wild ride from the very first batch.

Back in the fall of 2002 — in the days when our founding brothers Chris and John were busy brewing, cleaning, bartending, giving tours on weekends, and in between all that making sales calls up and down central Pennsylvania – they hatched a plan to have a little holiday fun.

They decided to brew a big, bold Belgian-style ale made with cherries and honey. Loads of cherries and loads of honey. They were all in on this beer, but one question came up: They figured they needed about 300 pounds of honey. Just where do you get that much honey?

At that point in their lives, their experience with honey had been limited to those little bears you get at the grocery store. Three hundred pounds, in the words of John, seemed like a “sh*t ton.”

Well, as luck would have it, they found a guy in Carlisle, PA, only 30 miles from the brewery, who calls himself The Happy Beekeeper. The Happy Beekeeper not only keeps bees himself, but he sources from other small Pennsylvania beekeepers. He got the 300 pounds for the very first batch of Mad Elf. And maybe more importantly, Chris and John got an education in honey.

While visiting home-brew shops and beekeepers and researching honey in central Pennsylvania, the brothers realized how much time and effort went into every pound. “It was mesmerizing and astonishing,” says to John.

They also got to taste different honeys: clover honey, wildflower honey, locust honey. And they were able to first-hand discover that the sweet, floral wildflower honey helped brighten the sweet and sour cherries and the Belgian strong ale base.

Of course, our priority is buying the best ingredients in the world. A lot of times that means Germany or England or the Pacific Northwest. But we’re lucky, because sometimes we can find the very best ingredients right here in central Pennsylvania. Today, we still buy all of our honey for Mad Elf from The Happy Beekeeper, and that 300-pound order has increased to 25,000 pounds a year. Happy beekeeper, indeed.

But honey isn’t the only ingredient that makes Mad Elf special. Five varieties of tree-ripened cherries help ring in the celebration. Bing, Lambert, Van, and Royal Ann contribute a bright and juicy sweetness, while Montmorency adds a touch of tartness. The combination of honey and cherries – paired with chocolate malt and a spicy Belgian yeast strain – make Mad Elf taste like the holidays is a glass. We taste: cherries, local honey, chocolate malt and subtle spices.

For many beer drinkers, the holidays don’t truly start until they’ve had their first Mad Elf, and we think Tröegs has a place on every table this season. Use our Brew Finder to snag this holiday icon in 12-oz. bottle and cans everywhere our beer is available. And look for Mad Elf on draft at your favorite tap room, bar or restaurant in mid-November.

[mommymooze]

Bees, Honey and Beekeepers

So there is a post going around, probably quite old, about vegans won't eat honey because you're stealing from the bees, it's murdering bees, they puke their guts up to make honey, that the bees are ground up to make honey, etc.

Some of it is so stupid you know they all have the dumb.

I am a beekeeper. Registered with the state. My hives are inspected by a state inspector at least once a year to make sure my hives are healthy. Although we have about 40 hives and do sell honey and bees, we don't make much money on it. There is no "pure profit" as the Bee Movie puts it. I could talk for 20 hours about bees and barely scratch the surface about them. They are beautiful, fascinating, educational and so much more.

Back around 1960, a beekeeper could put bees in a hive and basically leave them alone and they make honey for themselves and lots of extra honey that the keeper can harvest. However, as time passes, the world gets smaller and problems arise.

CHEMICALS

Lawn Care Chemicals: weed N feed. your local lawn service. They spray the yard killing every weed in the yard. Anything that lands on the odd clover or dandelion will take the poisoned nectar back to their home and feed the deadly stuff to their offspring.

Roundup. This poison is awful. Farmers, suburbanites, cities, they all use it to keep weeds down. They have helicopters and cropdusters spray the acres and acres of land with it. Roundup ready crops are the only things that grow, for miles, starving any creature that lives from nectar.

Garden chemicals: dusting your tomatoes, keeping the bugs from your fruit trees with sprays, makes them take poison home to the babies.

LACK OF FORAGE

Those nice green lawns of suburbia that are eating up the farmlands mile after mile? Not a clover in sight. No weeds. Guess what bees get food from? Dandelions, wildflowers, clover, flowering trees (but not those awful Bradford pears, nobody eats that crap)

Farmers go in their little fourwheelers with tanks of weedkiller between the fields and at all the edges spraying poison to keep the weeds out of their barley, corn, wheat, buckwheat, etc. That little bit of flowers and weeds used to feed the bees.

PESTS

Tracheal mites: These showed up in the 80's. Teeny little buggers that get inside the bee, lay their eggs in their throat, puncture through the walls of the trachea and suck out their hemolymph (blood). Passing along germs, parasites, causing infections, ick.

Varroa Mites: came to USA 1987. Think of a tick. They crawl around, jump up on a bee, stick their pointy jaws into a good spot on one, and suck out its juice. A Varroa Mite on a bee would be like you having a tick on you the size of a dinner plate. Freaking huge. They suck out the fat, the stored energy out of the bee. (Thank you Dr. Samuel Ramsay discovered this in 2019. Yes, I met him) They also transmit diseases and illness to the bees.

Small Hive Beetle: Big freaking problem. Arrived in US approx 1998. The beetles eat the honey but not too bad. Their offspring is the worst. They lay a few hundred eggs, their larva burrows through the honeycomb leaving a disgusting slime trail behind them. Ruining the comb for the bees. In a week they can ruin so much honey the bees leave and you are stuck with a stomach churning stinky mess.

American Foul brood and European Foul Brood. Bacterial spores that grow quickly in the warm humid conditions of the hives. The larvae start dying, some turning to slime inside the cells. It smells like death. Spores are the toughest little germy things, they can live for over 40 years, survive sub zero temperatures. Beekeepers used to treat their hives with chemicals, but that made new problems. Most treatment now for this is to burn the entire hive, bees and all. Because if they get out they can infect the flowers that other bees go to and spread the disease.

Wild bees are very much in danger. There are very few left. With the surge of new things bugging the bees, beekeepers are having a harder time keeping the bees alive. My bees are well cared for. I curse any amateur "bee haver" (not a keeper). Beekeepers keep their hives healthy, check them for diseases, work on natural ways to help them.

Bee havers buy some bees, try it out, don't like it, dump the hives somewhere and their bees die. They leave it sit, then wild bees move in, they may build up then die, get some foulbrood spores going in there, then they are a germ factory, spreading death to any bees that come in finding an attractive smell. Their sense of smell is 100 times that of a human and can smell flowers/food sources from around 2 miles away. Which spreads out quickly until its all over the country.

Ask me about bees. I know many interesting and weird facts. I actually wrote a fic about it, how beekeeping would be in FE3H.

[elljayvee]

This has been a large and growing problem for years and years. I get all my honey locally for this reason, and anyone who wants honey who has access to local honey should probably do that as a rule (the article mentions this as well). There's a few things to consider with doing that -- price aside, which can be a major barrier. One is, what's available in your area? I live in the northern US; any orange blossom honey sold here isn't local because we don't have orange trees. So I don't use orange blossom honey, even though I like it.

Another thing to consider is that with some mid-sized type of apiaries will bring in honey from other beekeepers to brand as theirs and that's a place where someone can adulterate it along the way. There's a medium-sized apiary near me that I have no reason to think is adulterating anything. They are part of a group of apiaries that supply each other with kinds of honey unavailable in their area for labeling and sale, and they always label the apiary of origin. Do I want to trust everyone in that whole group isn't adulterating anything? Well, I don't, personally. So I stick to the one kind I know for sure they are making locally (black locust honey, yum yum). Do I think it's wrong if anyone decides to trust the whole group? No, not at all. I think it's much less likely to be adulterated than imported honey or anything on the shelf in a chain grocery store, and part of why the apiaries do these exchanges is to try to protect their honey. I freely admit that my personal stance on this one is to the overly cautious side. Some mid-size apiaries will do this and NOT tell you the apiary of origin and I would straight up not buy any honey from those, including ones they supposedly are making themselves.

To sum up: if you care about honey and about the economic viability of beekeepers, buy from small to mid-sized local apiaries, buy kinds of honey local to your area and/or labeled with an apiary of origin only, do NOT buy any honey imported from country you don't live in.

[cooking-in-the-desert]

My favorite salad ever

So, those lucky folks in real life who know me know that I'm an absolute salad junkie.

And no... I don't mean the kind that usually feature in the greatest hits of every midwestern mom's church cookbook that feature cool whip or Jell-O. No - I'm talking about crunchy, fresh, salads with a lot of flavor, texture, and aren't reminiscient of 1950's nostalgia.

Salads are a common weeknight feature in my house since they're easy to prep and throw together and don't require much effort. And if like me, you keep around a bunch of random mason jars from various canning experiments or jars from the Bonne Maman jam you keep buying because it's delicious and the closest thing to your grandmother's homemade jams you can find in a store, making dressings is wicked easy too.

Now - this salad isn't one of those strange salads like the ones you see on tik tok or instagram by that Baked By Melissa chick - I've tried those, and honestly... wasn't that into them. I mean, salad on a chip is great - but honestly I'd rather just go make a big 'ol nacho salad w/ fake meat and cheese. The Baked By Melissa ones make gargantuan servings of healthy tasting salad - and who the hell likes healthy tasting salads? Not me - I like salads that taste like they contain a billion calories and want nothing to do with dressings that contain raw spinach as an ingredient - like, I put raw spinach in the crunchy green part of my salad. That is *more* than enough healthy for me, thanks.

I admittedly like my salads to taste good - and 'healthy' salads often taste like grass to me. If eating grass is your schtick, then by all means, go for it - but I am emphatically not a fan.

So anyway - here's my absolute favorite salad and dressing.

Note: Before anyone comes for me - the honey I use in the dressing recipe came from a hive that was recently removed by a professional beekeeper from a friend's property because the hive was massive and threatened the integrity of a structural wall in their home (some friends recently purchased a house that was vacant for over a year, and a hive of africanized bees set up shop behind the stucco and went to town making themselves at home - the bees had to be removed for everyone's safety - and the honey would have gone to waste otherwise).

Feel free to use bee free honee, maple syrup, brown sugar syrup, or agave nectar in it's place.

Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I like an aged vinegar, such as Oak Creek Olive Mill's - it's locally produced and really delicious).

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tbsp honey

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Combine ingredients in mason jar or container with lid, and shake to emulsify, or whisk to combine well.

Spinach Salad:

1 cup spinach

1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped

1/3 pkg Tempeh bacon (I followed a recipe by the Minimalist Baker - located here):

2 tbsp vegan feta (optional)

5 strawberries, chopped or sliced

1/3 cup cooked quinoa

8 small cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/3 cucumber, julienned

1/8 red onion, sliced

2 tbsp sliced almonds

1/2 avocado, diced

2 tbsp dressing

Croutons (optional - if that's your thing).

Layer quinoa, lettuce, spinach, cucumber, onion, tomato, chopped or sliced strawberries, avocado, feta, and almonds. Top w/ as much dressing your heart says to go with today and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

[simplyotometrash]

Blackberry Kisses

Victor x MC! Reader

Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff and Victor’s abrasive personality (jkjk i love him and would marry him if i couldn’t marry Kiro)

This was literally inspired because I ws in my yard picking and eating blackberries off my bushes asdfghjkl;

It was a surprise vacation. To be honest, most vacations you were whisked away on were not ones you had planned. Victor had a habit of noticing the tiniest of things and deciding to take you away on impromptu vacations, claiming they were because you were interested in locations for shoots or research. You knew it was his way of saying you needed to breathe and relax. As much of a hardass as Victor could be, he loved you greatly and was much softer on the inside than he showed on the outside.

Where had he taken you exactly? A nice farm in the countryside. A farm that grew many fruits, but it was known this time of year for its blackberries. Delicious, juicy blackberries. You had to dig through your brain to try and think of what spurred this trip. You couldn’t remember. Had you said something? It was still nice all the same.

The air had a fresh, sweet smell to it as a gentle breeze blew through.You could hear the buzzing of bees. You’d have to make a note to ask Victor if you could take home a few jars of their fresh honey. Beekeeping was fascinating and you would have to take a ton of notes and photos. Maybe the owners would even let you do a piece on their farm! It would be interesting. Farming and beekeeping were such interesting topics. You wanted to taste everything the farmers would allow. You’d always wanted to make note of the taste differences between local, fresh products and store bought.

“Victor, it’s incredible here!” You adjusted your sunhat as the wind blew through your hair. “It’s so beautiful!”

Victor made a noise of triumph. That cocky ‘harrumph’ you were used to hearing when he wanted to say “I know it is” or “I told you so”. His hand settled on your hip, taking in the view instead of saying what he wanted to say.

“It is quite nice.” That was all he was going to say? Man, you knew your fiance could be stoic but sometimes he really outdid himself.

“Do you think we could take some of their fresh foods and homemade products home with us? I would love to try some things out! Oh and I bet the things that they grow here taste so yummy,” you gushed. Your mouth practically watered at the thought.

A soft smile played upon the CEO’s lips as he watched your glee. “Of course. I already planned to. It’s always best to buy things fresh and in season when you can. They also raise goats and make many products with goat milk. Along with that, they are a no waste farm. Everything gets used. They even make sure to use the wax cappings from the honey they’ve harvested.”

It never ceased to amaze you just how much your fiance knew about all sorts of things. You weren’t dumb, despite what Victor’s nickname for you may suggest. You knew many things of your own. Victor just had so much knowledge of so many different things. He’d be perfect for a game show!

“Ah, Mr. Li, it’s nice to see you again. And you’ve brought a guest with you.” A kindly looking older gentleman came to greet you. One of the oldest farmers you’d seen since you had arrived. “I’m the owner of the Brighton Farm, Alexander Brighton. This farm has been in my family for generations.” 

You shook his hand with a smile. “I’m MC, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brighton. You have such a beautiful farm. How large is this farm?”

“Ah, you’d like a small tour, then! Wonderful!” That hadn’t been what you’d asked but you wouldn’t refuse. A tour of such a wonderful farm would be hard to resist. “We have nearly 2,000 acres all together. A good percentage of that are multiple pastures for the cattle, sheep, goats, and horses. We have some land for growing vegetables as well. But most the rest that we don’t live on is all one large orchard.”

You and Victor followed Mr. Brighton to a Mule, a small vehicle that he said he used to just get around the farm. There were multiple for people to use to get to different places for working. Most of the people working on the farm were family members or long-term hires. Anyone he hired could live on the property for free as he “had so much land still unused”. 

“I won’t take you too close to the beehives. They’re a bit on the agitated side today, though our bees are typically very gentle. Honey bees are actually very docile you know. But they just had a hive inspection to check for mites and cross comb. Both are a real issue. We don’t inspect our hives too much, that just makes them cranky, but we have to do it every once in a while. Healthy bees are happy bees!” 

---

You were taking vigorous notes in your journal. It was like being in school again. Only this time you were enjoying the subject matter and not bored in a classroom. If you had glanced at Victor more often you would have seen the warm and proud smile that had not left his face even once. Seeing you so in your zone and enjoying things made him happy. All he wanted was for you to be the best you could be and do the best you could. Sometimes that meant being pushy and sounding harsh. Because of his approach, he’d gotten to watch your growth first hand. While he did the pushing, you were growing all on your own. He just kept you going in the right direction and assisted as needed, like with revising your proposals. 

“Mr. Brighton, do you spray your plants with anything,” you asked, tapping your pen against the side of your chin.

“Heavens no. Never! We do not use pesticides on my farm, it’s not healthy for anyone who eats it and certainly not for the pollinators that come to our plants, including our precious bees.”

“Sir, do you think I could do a segment on my show about your farm? Come back and get some footage and do some interviews? I want to show the magic behind what you do and how much care goes into everything here.” There it was. The moment Victor had waited for. You knew he was, judging by how he had asked questions for you when you couldn’t think of anything yourself. 

“Put this place on TV? I don’t see why not! You won’t be allowed to get your crew too close to my bees, mind you, but I don’t mind if you do something on us here. I think the world should see there’s more to farms than cruel factory farming”

He pulled up to rows upon rows of tame blackberry bushes. Many still had red or turning berries upon their vines. There were some with perfectly ripe berries ready to be picked.

“You can pick some berries yourselves. We always encourage people to come out and pick for themselves. We do the same for all of our fruits, though we are more picky with our vegetables.” He handed you and Victor a large bucket. “You’ll pay by weight before you leave. My son will be in the house when you’re ready! You can also buy all sorts of our products while you’re in there. Oh and feel free to eat a few while you’re picking.” He threw a wink your way and waved before driving off. 

He’d given such a long tour of the property. Not all of the pastures, thankfully, but you’d gotten to see pretty much everything. You had many notes and photos. All you’d have to do once you got home would be write up your proposal and share the plans with your staff. Victor clearly endorsed the idea, though he would likely demand you make a proper proposal for the sake of professionalism. 

“Thank you,” you murmured as you began checking blackberries to pick.

Victor picked berries with skill and precision beside you, clearly having done it before. “What for?”

“For bringing me here. You knew I was stumped for a new idea, didn’t you?”

He chuckled a little. “Dummy, I remember the things that you tell me. You said you wanted to do an episode about fresh food and that you weren’t sure how to go about it. I just made some calls.”

You stood on your toes to kiss his cheek. “Now I can make a perfect episode all about this. I have so many ideas.”

“I want a proposal by Friday.”

“You’re cruel!”

Victor huffed and held a blackberry up to your lips. “If you’re so excited about doing an episode about this place, writing up your proposal to give to me shouldn’t be a problem now should it?”

You eyed your fiance for a minute with a pout before pulling the blackberry from his fingers and into your mouth. It burst with a sweet, slightly tangy flavor. It was the tastiest blackberry you’d ever had! Though the sight of Victor’s slightly purple finger tips made it hard not to laugh.

“This is so tasty! You’ve got to try one-”

Victor cut you off with a kiss, his tongue dipping between your lips and into your mouth. You were blushing as he pulled away, a smirk on his face.

“You’re quite right.”

Consider supporting me on Ko-Fi!

[resident-beekeeper]

Ok so. Beekeeper Witcher AU partially based off of some stuff @dinahdarling said here.

Lost of other stuff to add to that because my brain rambles a lot and I can’t stop thinking about this

Geralt is surprised by how excited Jaskier is to see a swarm of bees because often people incorrectly think that bees swarming are going to be angrier than normal (they couldn’t be more wrong but the number of people who get very worried when they see a swarm is ridiculous, speaking from experience)

Jaskier initially gets a bit mixed up between bumblebees and honey bees, which really exasperates Geralt. E.g. he thinks that honey bee queens hibernate during the winter when the rest of the bees die, which is bumblebees. This is part of why Jaskier doesn’t realise about how much honey needs to be left for bees, because why would a hibernating queen need lots of honey?

He’s very eager to learn all about it though so Geralt sort of forgives him.

Ciri frequently helps out with the bees and she’s got her own bee suit, which is a kid’s one. (You can buy some very small bee suits) Jaskier finds this unbelievably adorable.

Geralt is on the local bee helpline which he claims is because that way he gets even more bees. And it is definitely part of that, but it is also that if nobody gets the swarm they’ll probably end up going into the rafters of a house, or a chimney if there’s one nearby. And if happens theres no real way to remove them without just killing the entire colony.

And often Ciri comes along because an extra pair of hands is always very helpful when catching swarms, especially when this involves transporting the colony in a van, so Ciri is very helpful.

People are both impressed and worried that Geralt has a small child helping him with a lot of bees.

Impressed because she's very good at it and people are always surprised when small people are calm around bees.

Worried because what if she gets stung?

Geralt let's Ciri have the gauntlets when they catch swarms so that she isn't stung on the hand, but people still worry because they're fools.

One time she had to hold a cardboard box of bees closed because Geralt had ran out of nuc boxes. (Pronounced like nuke as in the bomb) (its basically a small hive that you can put a swarm in and then transport it easily)

The bee helpline is sort of the equivalent of fighting monsters only instead of money as a payment Geralt gets bees.

He gets really frustrated with people who call the help when

They call about wasps instead of bees because bees are brilliant whereas wasps are shit. They sting a lot more and don't produce honey. They also occasionally try to steal honey from bees.

They call about some colony of bumblebees or something that are in a hole in their house wall because there is precisely nothing anybody can do about that other than kill them, and they aren't harming anyone. And Geralt isn't pest control anyway.

People think that what they have is a swarm when instead what it is is a colony, because people are idiots who don't know the difference between them. (A colony is bees living somewhere, a swarm is bees looking for a new place to live.)

Because of all the new colonies Geralt gets through his own bees swarming and swarms he gets from elsewhere, he runs out of hives so you know what that means.

Family make a beehive time.

At this point Jaskier is also part of the family so he and Ciri make up frames together because that's relatively easy and is also very rewarding because each frame doesn't take too long to build.

Geralt and Yennefer make brood boxes and supers together with one of them holding the parts in place and the other hammering in nails. (The brood box is where the queen is and so where the brood (baby bees) is, the supers are shallower and only have honey in them.)

The brood boxes and supers need painting in order to waterproof them.

Normally this is something that Ciri would do with bits of help because she really enjoys painting.

But this year Jaskier is around.

And hes determined to make sure that Geralt has the best looking beehives in existence.

Geralt insists that there really is no need. Plain white paint works perfectly well and they already have lots of it. (I know a dark colour would probably fit better with his aesthetic but those make beehives too hot when the sun comes out)

Jaskier will not hear of such nonsense. Of course the hives need to look their best. It's a shame he can't fix the boring hives Geralt has at the moment but you can't really paint a hive with bees currently in it.

So one day he goes to B&Q and gets loads and loads of paint samples in lots of colours. And he draws a proper design on paper first because it has to be perfect.

It's an overly complicated design of various mythical creatures which all have absolutely nothing to do with bees but Jaskier thinks they look great.

He and Ciri spend a long time painting the beehive, which has a different setting for each part of it, with the most complicated (a wolf chasing after a group of kelpies) on the brood box because it's the biggest.

There's dragons on one of the supers, with a sky that isn't a consistent blue because paint samples aren't actually that big, but they're similar at least.

The other super has a Griffin flying at sunset (it looks nice and there isn't enough blue for daylight).

Of course it would be lovely to have the hive with one specific theme, but given hive parts are changes around fairly frequently depending on how much space the bees need, that it unfortunately not an option. Jaskier does fade each design out to white at the very edges so the jump between them isn't too jarring.

Suddenly Geralt minds a lot less because they are both clearly having a lot of fun, even if he won't admit it.

I'm definitely gonna write more for this, but I think that's enough for now

[maedhros-thetall]

Wait I have a question! That post about the chickens and the eggs and the bees and honey- there was a lot of varying info and opinions so I want to make sure I’m understanding. Is it true that buying organic from the grocery store and/or locally is both ethical and sustainable? Thank you!

I’m not an expert, nor one of the people contributing to the post, but it generally depends on the brand. Many “free range” eggs from the grocery store are in reality not very free range at all, as companies only need to meet certain requirements to be able to call their eggs that, eg. the chickens only need to have access to an outdoor area for a specific amount of time each day, or they need to have a certain amount of space. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that the chickens are treated well and have enough freedom to be happy. It is absolutely better than factory farms that keep their chickens in tiny cages all their lives, but still has similar issues.

https://sentientmedia.org/poultry-farming/#:~:text=Slaughtered%20Very%20Young&text=When%20poultry%20farming%20operations%20can,even%20in%20their%20short%20lives.&text=Slaughtered%20Very%20Young&text=When%20poultry%20farming%20operations%20can,even%20in%20their%20short%20lives.

However, eggs (and honey) bought from small local businesses or famers markets are generally ethical and sustainable, as chickens naturally lay plenty of eggs without harm to themselves, as said in the post. As for grocery store eggs, you should be able to research what the conditions are like in certain farms, but think critically. I’m not sure what the regulations are around farms telling the truth about their conditions, does anyone know how to find out about that?

I know far less about beekeeping and honey, but I believe the last few commenters on the post are correct. The only issue around beekeeping that I know about is how honeybees tend to compete with native species of pollinating insect, harming them, but it seems like this would only have a large impact on an industrial scale? Again, if anyone has more information, I’d be glad to hear it!

Anyway, eating honey should be fine, and although you need to be a bit more careful with eggs, if they come from chickens with enough space and freedom that are allowed to live their lives naturally, they should be good too!