Bee~ Journal of then...

[Up-the-Creek]

Now see, I understand what you are saying about the "daunting" idea of trying to have bees. I was raised around it and it has always been such an expense for my family. I never was interested in it too much because of that. My thing was, "Why make a mountain out of a mole hill?" Bees do fine by themselves without human interference,...but there you go, and you know what I am talking about,...you take people who has been doing it one way forever, they think there is no other way. I am really glad that you showed this to me. If things allow for it,..I will give it a try. My DS needs his own hive anyway. My Dad will probably dang me to heck,..but maybe he will learn something!

 

[Beekissed]

Just consider yourself the Salatin of Beekeeping, C! They will learn by example or not at all....it is very hard to crack the shell of tradition passed down for years.

I want to try it, I want it to be a success and I want to be the first in my area to have them and succeed at it. I'm hoping to challenge that tradition and introduce a new way of thinking. I think it's the only way our farms and homesteads will survive if they go a little old school with a new twist!

Same way with my hair sheep...I want to be the first in this area to raise them, raise them without pharmacueticals or grain, and market them from my place. The farmer from which I bought my Bettys is still trying to farm his hair sheep just like he did his woolies.....grain and chemicals. As a result, he is having some of the same problems~money drain, health issues, poor performance.

I guess I am just a rebel without claws......

 

[me&thegals]

Bee--it will be so exciting to hear how this goes for you! Plus, you have at least a handful of people on this forum who have/will have TBHs next spring, so a great place to trade ideas.

I miss those bees and spent a sick day today reading Sue Hubbell's A Year of Bees. She's a commercial beek down south and somewhere in the middle of the continuum between "all natural" and not. I think you would enjoy her perspective on life.

 

[Beekissed]

I skimmed her book once but didn't get a chance to really read it....must check it out again!

I have a feeling this will be the most exciting spring on this forum....so many with so many plans and so much to contribute! I can't wait to see all the pics and projects....this forum is really shaping up, don't you think?

 

[me&thegals]

So much diversity in ideas and projects--it's great! Best of luck to you in getting your barrel topbars ready.

As for bee books, I've had a hard time finding very helpful books, either. Many are great for learning about the biology of bees in general, but as for actually teaching hands-off beekeeping, not so much.

Beemaster, biobees and beesource.com have been the most excellent sources of information for me so far. I do have more bee books to try, though, from recommended lists on those forums...

 

[Farmfresh]

Bee I thought of you tonight when I saw an ad on Craigslist. A family that is moving advertised their herd of Dorper cross sheep. I posted the link on my journal. 14 bred ewes and a young ram for $1800.

It seems you always find interesting stuff when you have no place to keep it! Not that I would buy the whole herd but I at least wish I had a place for about 3 of them.

 

[Beekissed]

Farm, that is a good price! The fellow I am buying a ram off of in the spring bought a herd of registered Dorpers(100) with two rams and two GP dogs for $300 a head!

I can't imagine being able to pull that much cash out and buy a herd, but some folks can.

I hate to pay $300 for a ram, but if he has good confirmation and comes from proven breeders, it will greatly benefit my total herd development. Yeah...my herd...of two ewes.....

I plan to breed some Dorper genetics into my girls and keep the cream of the crop....want a total of 4-5 sheep on this place eventually.

 

[Farmfresh]

Yea ... like I said just when you have NO place to keep them and really no money to spend you find a deal like that. I would love to get in there and take my "picks of the litter" as it were. Even if I had to pay a bit more for that privilege.

I always think if you started a herd with a good cross-bred animal, then bred the herd up using a quality ram ..... dreaming again. Someday I would love a small flock of hair sheep. I LOVE to eat lamb and now that I have been reading up on milking sheep I am even more interested.

 

[Beekissed]

I really can't wait to eat some of my own lambs here....I intend to buy a book that specializes in lamb recipes so I won't mess up my first encounter with my own meats.

Breeding up is how most folks develop a flock, so I don't mind buying a ram that is a little pricey....and $300 is about as pricey as I'm willing to go.

Bought a few more bales of that incredible hay at the local feed co-op....it's like cotton candy for these sheep! You wouldn't believe the difference in the quality of this hay vs. all the other hay in this area. This hay is so green and leafy that it looks good enough for ME to eat!

Worried about Justusnak's Pearl girl right now.....am praying that she comes out of this okay and with live lambs.

 

[Farmfresh]

If you can cook good venison and fish, you can cook good lamb. I think most people tend to frazzle it. It is actually a delicious tender meat and best eaten medium to medium rare, like good beef steak.

As a matter of a fact in some recipes it is hard to distinguish from beef. I have had folks up to their forks in a lamb dish telling me how good the beef is and when I breech the subject of different meats tell me - while stuffing their face full of it - how they don't like lamb!

I was lucky. I had a neighbor from Australia (where lamb is king) teach me about lamb early on in my cooking career. After that it was always a matter of finding (and affording) it in a grocery store, until I started buying them on the hoof to be custom butchered. Lamb meat is like blackberries. Only the ones who raise it get to eat so good!