New E-Commerce site is now on line, Additional changes to site have been made.

 

Click here to go directly to our Newsletter Candle Report.

We finally have the new e-commerce program up and running. It is a program installed on our own server called "Quikstore." It will allow us a lot more flexibility. Some of the main things I like about it are:

More accurate shipping rates - It will actually go to the USPS & UPS sites to automatically figure the charges.

A search engine that you can enter candle info into.

New Items - more cinnamon & bayberry candles.

Since I can manipulate the pages, I can make any detailed changes that I like rather than be contrained to only what was available on the old program.

We can also now take Amercan Express and Discover card now.

 

Not everything is moved over yet. We still have a few things like Nativity Sets that we have not created the new pages yet, but we still have them.

Try Our New Search Page!
You can search by an image or by entering text.

We are also in the process of giving our whole site a new "paint job." All the pages will eventually have a new look. The Honeyfarm & Candle Shop are finished now. The rest will come later.

April at the Honey Farm, New Beekeeping Organization, Online Honey Recipe Search Engine Launched, New Beekeeping Organization, Tests Find Altered Honey, Country Smoke House

 

April at the Honey Farm - Beekeeping activities finally resume for us in April. We are having more package bees shipped to us in mid April to replace winter losses. Click here to see package bees being installed.

This month we will also start raising new queen bees from 2 breeder queens from Glenn Apiaries in California. These are special SMR mite resistant queens (1 Russian & 1 Carniolan) that we will use to raise new queens for the splits (new colonies) that we will make in May. This is another way to replace losses and also to improve the genetic quality of our colonies.

 

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Online Honey Recipe Search Engine Launched

Early this month the National Honey Board launched a new online recipe database that hosts over 1,000 honey-containing recipes. Search for recipes by name, ingredient, category or ingredient category. Visit http://honey.com/recipes to start your search today!

 

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I just went to a great new beekeeeping organization in our area. The "7 Ponds Beekeepers Club" just had it's second meeting and there were more than 30 people in attendance. It is loosely affiliated with South Eastern Michigan Beekeepers Association.

It was held in 7 Ponds Nature Center, an affiliate of the Michigan Audubon Society, located in Dryden Township, Lapeer County, Michigan - only a few miles from us.

There was discussion about the clubs format, a planning group was organized and arrangements were made to obtain and install 2 beehives during April on the 7 Ponds Nature Center property.

It's mission statement is to "Educate Beginning Beekeepers Through Mentoring Programs." It is a really great opportunity for new and seasoned beekeepers to meet. They get together the 4th Tuesday of the month from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. For more information you can contact myself or Nancy Schleibe at 1-810-395-7379.

 

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Country Smoke House is another one of our local honey customers that you should check out (they use honey in their sausage.) A really great place for wild game and deer processing. They specialize in elk, buffalo, and venison and also carry a line of fresh meats such as: bear, caribou, emu, boar, turkey, beef, pork, etc. They ship Wild Game Gift Boxes all over the country.
Visit them at: http://www.countrysmokehouseinc.com/
call or contact them at: smokin@klondyke.net or 1-810-798-3064

Tests Find Altered Honey

(This report shows how important it is to buy honey from a local producer!)

Honey that has been ultrafiltered is still coming into the U.S. labeled as pure honey. Some shipments are being located. Let's hope lots more is found and labeled correctly. And, that the shippers are punished.

On February 2 Columbia Food Laboratories, Inc. and the National Honey Board began the reduced fee testing program to accept samples of imported honey from packers and importers. The lab is conducting a series of three tests to make a determination as to whether the sample is pure honey or suspected of being an altered sweetener product.

In the first month the lab tested 69 honey samples sent in by 13 different companies. Nine of the 69 samples were found to be suspected of being the altered sweetener product rather than pure honey. Of the 9 suspect samples, 7 were from China, 1 was from Turkey and the origin of 1 was unknown.

Bee Culture Magazine http://www.beeculture.com/beeculture/index.html

April Honey Recipe - from Honey.com

Honey-Kissed Fruit (Microwave Method)
- Makes 4 servings -

Ingredients:
2 fresh pears, pared, cored and halved
1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
1 cup green grapes, halved
1/4 cup honey
1 can (5-1/4 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained
1 cup red grapes, halved

Directions:
Blend honey and orange peel; set aside. Place pears in four microwave-safe serving glasses; drizzle with honey mixture. Cover each glass with plastic wrap; vent. Microcook at HIGH (100%) three to five minutes or until pears are tender. Combine pineapple and grapes. Divide evenly between servings and sprinkle over pears. Serve warm or cold.

Tips:
Recipe developed for 600 to 700 watt microwave ovens.

 

Do you have a great honey recipe - please send it to us and we will put it in our newsletter.

Candle W*nner & Laugh of the Month

April candle winner: golfgod@torchlake.com


Will this months w*nner,
golfgod@torchlake.com
please contact us and send your address so that I can ship your candles.

Our list of previous candle w*nners.

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Click below for something silly to end this newsletter with.

Classy McGassey Monkey Tune

See You Next Month!

Honeyflow Farm
4939 Mill Rd.    PO Box 275
Dryden, Michigan 48428
(810) 796-2344 (Phone & Fax)

Comments or questions concerning Honeyflow Farm should be addressed to wcs@honeyflowfarmREMOVETHISBIT.com