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Welcome to the July issue of our E-Tattler, the on-line version
of our fall Tattler which is mailed out (through US mail) every
September. From September through mid October our farm sells
more than 20 varieties of U-Pick grapes, bulk honey and candles.
Through our website http://www.honeyflowfarm.com you can
purchase candles and honey products throughout the year.
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In this issue:
July candle winner is Sandra Silfven - beatgirl@detnews.com
Our visit to Terre Vin Winery - Rockville, IN
NEW!! Monthly Grape Variety Review - Cayuga White
July in the vineyard!
July with the honeybees!
New FAQ section and message board has been added to our website -
we still need your help!
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/faq.htm
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/messageboard.htm
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Congratulations! July candle winner is Sandra Silfven -
beatgirl@detnews.com
Sandra Silfven, a writer from the Detroit News, besides winning a
candle this month, produces a very good site for anyone
interested in wine. http://data.detnews.com/wine/
Check out her "Michigan" page on her website, lots of stuff about
Michigan Wines & Wineries.
http://detnews.com/wine/michigan/indexmich.htm
There is also a very nice article with information about our
farm, see the "Make your own wine -- It only takes grapes & a
little know how" & "The rest of the story on winemaking at home"
pages.
http://detnews.com/wine/columns/990916winemake.htm
http://detnews.com/wine/columns/990923schnute.htm
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WIN A FREE PAIR OF 9 INCH HAND DIPPED BEESWAX CANDLES!
Every month we have a drawing from our e-mail list and then mail
out a free pair of candles to the lucky winner.
ABSOLUTELY FREE!!
(If you are receiving this message you are on our list and may
soon win a pair of candles) Tell you friends about our farm. All
theyhave to do is visit our website at
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com and use our feedback link:
http://www.honeyflowfarm.bigstep.com/contactus.html
to subscribe to our monthly newsletter. In addition, every week
in September we will also be giving away a free bushel of grapes!
SUBSCRIBE NOW & WIN!!
July winner - Sandra Silfven - beatgirl@detnews.com
June winner - Kristy Joslin
March winner - Deborah Jezierski - Port Huron, MI
April winner - Judy Judd - Dryden, MI
May winner - Donald Brietske of St. Clair, Mi
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20% off sale on our Economy Pack of 12 - 6 1/2 inch Hand-dipped
Beeswax Tapers
Shipping Weight: 4.0 lbs
List Price: $43.00
Sale Price: $34.40
These are the smallest of our tapers, sold in an economy 12 pack.
They are made during the winter months at our farm. Beeswax
candles are started by stringing a frame with candle wicking.
Each frame starts by holding 6 pairs of candles. The frames are
dipped into 175 degrees beeswax, cooled, and then the procedure
is repeated. After the candle is about 1/2 size, the frame is
split apart into two frames. The dipping procedure is continued
until the candle is finished.
http://sitepreview.bigstep.com/item.jhtml?UCIDs=
731499%7C821155&PRID=611476
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Our visit to Terre Vin Winery - Rockville, IN
We have just returned from a trip to a family wedding in South
Dakota (beautiful country) and on the way back we stopped off for
a visit to Terre Vin Winery in Rockville, IN.
http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/terrevin/index.html
They are producers of wines made from many of the grapes that you
can pick at our farm - Vignoles, Niagara, Foch, Dechaunac,
Concord and many more. Here are their descriptions of some of
their wines:
"Wabaschwein Cayuga White
Our first wine from grapes grown at Fragrant Farms
Vineyard in New Harmony. It is the first commercial
vineyard in the town since the Harmonists left in 1825.
Bottled from the first harvest of Fragrant Farms' Cayuga
White grapes; Wabaschwein is the name the Harmonists used
for their wines. Made in the style of a German QBA wine,
with a light floral aroma and a slightly sweet taste.
Customers have been very enthusiastic about this new
release.
Pre-harvest reservations are being taken at the price of
$11.95 per bottle, $129.06 per case until July 31st. E-
mail us for details."
"Wabash White
A semi-dry wine made from American Niagara grapes.
Fruity aroma and flavor. If you like White Zinfadel -
you will like this! Goes well with meals containing
chicken, fish or pasta and is also good with light
desserts.
1996 Silver medal, Indy International Wine Competition
$7.95"
"Washington County Foch - NEW!
A fruity, jammy red wine from grapes grown in Southern
Indiana's limestone soil at Hardinsburg. It's the same
grape as Wabash Red, with a distinctively different
flavor. $9.95"
http://www.ticz.com/homes/users/terrevin/index.html
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NEW!! Monthly Grape Variety Review - Cayuga White
(GW-3) - Large compact clusters. Wine is clean, neutral, light,
resembles white Riesling, excellent. Rows 33 & 34 - Mid September
Cayuga White, named at Geneva, N.Y. in 1972, is one of the most
productive and disease-resistant varieties grown in the East.
Its wine, which has medium body and good balance, has been rated
highly. This versatile grape can be made into a semisweet wine
emphasizing the fruity aromas, or, using oak aging, into a dry
less fruity wine. When harvested early, it may produce a very
attractive sparkling wine whth good acidity, good structure, and
pleasant aromas. When overripe, however, it can develop strong
hybrid romas with slight American overtones. Its excellent
cultural characteristics and high wine quality promise an
important future for this variety.
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/vineyard.htm
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July in the vineyard!
Mowing grass, weed control & fruit bloom were the major
activities in June. Bloom time in the vineyard is quite
wonderful, the aroma is very subtle but exciting!
After bloom, the vines set fruit and very small grapes are
formed, about 1/16 inch. The berries will quickly swell in size
during July. http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/vineyard.htm
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July with the honeybees!
During June the colonies grew in size and they were all checked
again for queens and supers were put on when necessary. I
needed to make sure a queen is in each hive (I do not bother to
find her, I just look for eggs) The hive should be getting much
stronger now and I will have added another box (super) on top of
the colony for the honeybees to put honey into. This is a very
important time for the bees, if they do not have enough room in
the beehive, they will swarm (leave the hive) and I will end up
with a weak hive that will not produce any honey. This month of
July I will again check all the beeyards and add more honey
supers (boxes). Sometimes the stack of boxes goes over my head
and I need something to stand on to reach the top!
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/honeyfarm.htm
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Many people ask us: Where are our honeybee colonies located and
what has happened to most of the honeybees this year?
Our honeybee outyards (10 of them this year) are located on
various farms in the surrounding counties. Since we do not
move our colonies in and out of locations like many
beekeepers do for pollination fees, we have arrangements
with various farmers where we leave the colonies at their
farm all year and then they sell our honey products at their
produce market. This has been working quite well for us
for many years.
This past year there have been very large honeybees losses
over winter due to “varroa mites”. The varroa mite is a
small reddish mite the size of a pin head that sucks the
honeybees blood and eventually kills them. I have heard
reports of many beekeepers having losses of 80-90% or more.
(10% is normal) Even though our losses were almost 60%,
compared to other beekeepers we came through the winter just
fine. We have been using “carniolan” honeybees (a very dark
colored bee) which are supposed to be more resistant to
mites.
This year we have been requeening with a new
“Russian” mite resistant honeybee (imported from Russia) and
also using special screens at the bottom of the hive that we
hope will also reduce damage from the varroa mite.
It is very important to have a large number of strong
colonies for honey production and also so our host farmers
have very good pollination. By using these special
techniques and a mite resistant strain of honeybees we hope
to accomplish this. http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/honeyfarm.htm
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We still have a large supply of 2 gallon pails of raw honey
(24lbs) available for $30.00 each. Perfect for mead makers or
those who cook with honey. Convenient bulk size.
Call 810-796-2344 or email to order & arrange for pickup.
Prior arrangements must be made as our sales stand is not open or
attended this time of the year,
http://www.honeyflowfarm.bigstep.com/category.html;$sessionid$QPW
3BNQAAA04ZWGIHUXXBMWYZA4YLPX0?UCIDs=731499%7C765684
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New FAQ section is added to our website - we need your help!
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/faq.htm - I just started this
question & answer page & need more questions - please email any
questions you think should be on it.
New Message board! http://www.honeyflowfarm.com/messageboard.htm
We have also added a page where we keep interesting
messages/comments/suggestions - feel free to add to it!
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Bill Schnute
http://www.honeyflowfarm.com
Comments or questions concerning Honeyflow
Farm
should be addressed by clicking on the link:
Honeyflow farm is the only farm in Michigan that specializes in
grapes,honey and beeswax candles.