Bee Chains, Forgotten Frame and Papalo...The Summer Cilantro

When I extracted honey, I forgot to put a frame back in one of the hives.  I had removed some undrawn frames of foundation to replace with a few combs I had when I removed the honey, and one frame just never got replaced.  A few days later when I discovered my mistake, I had to move the comb the bees had built in the void I had left onto a new frame.  They will have it fixed up in no time.  Also observed, my favorite...a bee chain, also called a festoon.  Bees link together and use their bodies to....actually no one knows for sure.  Measure space?  Help wax production some how? Another delightful bee mystery.

Chain of Bees

Oooops...forgot a frame.

Moving their handiwork

Also in full swing is a new plant we are growing at Garden Dreams this year called Papalo.  It is tall, hardy and delightful.  The flavor is a bit like citrus and cilantro and quite strong...you only need about 1/3 of the amount of cilantro you would use in a salsa for example.  It's great because cilantro is quick to bolt in the summer heat....when this Papalo just seems to keep on growin'.

Papalo...my new fave.

So aromatic...oil glands on papalo leaf underside.

Summer Splendor

The gardens at our house are in full bloom.  Just a lovely sight to see.

Beds filled in...and Jason's studio painted yellow.

Tithonia in bloom

Ida the dog gives scale to the sunflowers

Flower bed by the house with plenty of sweet alyssum for beneficial wasps

Butterfly weed and anise hyssop

Echinacea purpurea and bronze fennel

Honey bees on anise hyssop

Mixed bed of calendula, dill, cilantro, and more with asparagus planting

Polyface Farm Field Day

Yesterday I participated in a field day at Polyface Farms in Virginia.  The Salatins have become adept at marketing their version of sustainable meat production through books that Joel Salatin writes, speaking tours, and events on farm.  During yesterday's visit, the animals seemed content, living in a low-stress environment, doing what they liked to do, with access to light and fresh air.

The trick is, the Salatins raise animals in an ethical way and still turn a good profit, by using their land to "stack functions".  They also lease land to run animals on, they don't own all the land they use.  An example of stacking functions is running broiler chickens on the same land that cows just came through, since different bugs and parasites affect these species...the birds are able to glean protien from the cow patties and "clean up" after the cows.  

The weather was lovely and the rain held off til the end of the day.  All in all, great to see the things I have read about this farm in person.

Turkeys

Small apiary with electric netting for bears

The Raken House: Chickens stir the deep bedding under the rabbits to mix in the manure and keep it fresh until the young rabbits go out to pasture.

Rabbits on Pasture.  Daniel Salatin has bred a very hardy line of rabbits.

Burly Ass Trellis

Cornish Cross Broiler Shelters moving across pasture, cleaning up after the cows (eating parasites and bugs in the cow patties).  

Cornish Cross shelter with simple gravity watering system

Chick Brooder

Khaki Campbell Ducks under Paw Paw Trees.

Hoop House 30' x 120'

Kitchen Garden

Eggmobile

Cattle