Early Shoot Growth in the Vineyard

A good place to start when viewing our site is Our Timeline Page. It will summarize what is going to happen next at the Farm.

Click here to take a look...

Highlights in this Issue:

• In the Vineyard  - No spring frost this year, planted new seedless vines, finished pruning and tying
  
• In the Honeybee yards  - 3lb package bees installed to replace winter loss, Carniolan Queens installed, New information on what is killing honeybees
  
• The Beeswax Candle Shop - New 4 inch wide pillars - New Owl pillar
  

Good news this year - NO SPRING FROSTS!   We did have a week of -15 degrees in early January and it did affect a few of the more sensitive varieties - but even most of them came through the winter just fine and have a crop.  The Foch vines look really good.

A lot of new Suffolk Red Seedless and Marquis White Seedless were planted, filling in missing vines and one new row of Marquis.  We are trying to make most of the front of the vineyard seedless.

Here are some interesting articles that were recently sent to me:

• I Have Too Much Headspace In The Secondary Fermenter

• How To Stop A Wine Fermentation

• Bulk Storing Wine In A Carboy - I have 5 gallons of wine that has just cleared up. Do I have to bottle it now or can I store it in the carboy? How long will the wine last in a carboy? Or will it spoil?I have 5 gallons of wine that has just cleared up. Do I have to bottle it now or can I store it in the carboy? How long will the wine last in a carboy? Or will it spoil?

• 12 Oldest Wine Companies In The World

American Foulbrood Treatments - New Info about Colony Collapse Disorder - New Carniolan Queens Installed

Spring is here.  We just finished installing new honeybee colonies to replace winter loss.
(Click on this link to see how we install package bees)  

DO I NEED A VET FOR MY BEES?

When I was getting ready to check the bee yards I tried to order some Terramycin, an antibiotic that beekeepers have used for the past 50 years to combat American and European Foulbrood.  I found that you now need a prescription from a veterinarian to obtain it.  At first I thought it was just more big brother interference in our lives - but it was to try to reduce antibiotics in our system.
See: beeculture.com/do-i-need-a-vet-for-my-bees/

Without treating with terramyin there may be an increase in American Foulbrood which is very contagious and will kill the honeybees.  A whole bee yard may be infected.  The only treatment is to burn the hives - so we may be going back to a lot to hive burning.

Upon more research, I found that when you stop using antibiotics, it changes the "gut" in the honeybees and they seem to winter over better.  This could affect Colony Collapse Disorder.

Read more about Colony Collapse Disorder and Carniolan Queens on our blog...

++++++++++++++++++

OUR ANNUAL FALL HONEY SALE - IN JUNE? FOR 30 DAYS ONLY! ALL HONEY PRODUCTS ARE ON SALE!

No - the grapes are not ripe yet and vineyard is not open, but we thought we would put gallons of honey on sale on our website just like we do at our Sales Stand in September. (No quarts during this special sale)

Gallons of honey are on sale - 5% discount - pickup from farm or shipped to your home. We originally were going to put only gallons on sale BUT DECIDED TO APPLY THE DISCOUNT TO ALL SIZES OF HONEY
(no drop in sales - arrangements must be made through our website)

• Many people have purchased a box with 3 - 5lb of honey (15lb) shipped to their door using a USPS FLAT RATE BOX.
• We can now use the same style of box to ship a rugged 1 Gallon (12lb) jug of honey!
• You can also order and pickup the more economical jug right at the farm - or it can also be shipped UPS (if that is cheaper for you)

Click here to Purchase Honey at the Beeswax Candle Shop ...

 

It is easy to order honey for pickup or shipped to you home.

Click here to order...

 Check out these links - Click on the image...

New Products at the Candle Shop 

New Owl Scene Pillar
$17.75 - details...

New Extra Large 4 inch wide Pillars - The largest single wick pillar on our site.
Available in 4, 6 & 9 inch tall.
details....