Sustainable beekeeping, chickens, and cake
Today I met with Paul and Mike to discuss our ongoing plans for hedging on the Marsh. We have applied for some subsidised hedging packs from The Woodland Trust, but we are keen to retain the openness of the landscape, and the saplings have to be protected from stock so we are limited in where … Continue reading Hedges and Ditches at the Marsh
Another hot day - this time at the Solar Farm at Berwick. Yesterday evening I had taken the bees down to the site, ready to be transferred this morning. Travelling at night is easier as it means the bees are kept cool, and they settle overnight ready to head out and orient to their new … Continue reading Thermosolar Bees
I am always keen to meet up with like-minded people, and I love using honeybees as a way of reconnecting people with our environment. I had a meeting last week with Vicky of Starnash Farmhouse B&B, and after coffee, walking and talking around the beautiful surroundings, it was obvious that it would be a perfect … Continue reading Starnash Farmhouse B&B…& Beekeeping
I always enjoy the Introductory courses as it's great to see the wonderment and interest as people begin to understand the workings of a bee colony, but these Intermediate courses are equally enjoyable as it's a chance to evaluate what our bees are doing and share observations on behaviour and experiences. This course gives beekeepers … Continue reading Intermediate Beekeeping Course
There were 5 attendees on this course, who had travelled from across Sussex to learn about how to keep bees sustainably. We start off by discussing the hive itself (I work with Nationals and WBCs), and how the bees operate within it. We don't look inside occupied hives on this course - it's actually much … Continue reading Sustainable Beekeeping course
I rescued these bees with a friend of mine from the panelling of a wall in a social club that was going be demolished, on April 10th, 2016. It was a cold day and a bit drizzly, and the location of the colony was near the car park for a popular bridleway/public footpath, and it … Continue reading Squash court bees
Would you like to know how to keep bees sustainably, on a small scale? Many people would like a colony of honeybees in their garden, and on this course I will show you how a hive works, and how to keep your bees happy and healthy with minimal intervention. Topics covered include:What type of hiveWhere … Continue reading Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping
It's that time of year! I will be offering both an Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping, and an Intermediate course. The introductory course is for those who are interested in learning the principles of beekeeping in a way which is sympathetic to the bees' natural instincts. It is a good course too for those who are … Continue reading New course dates
This was my third attempt at running this course as the weather was exceedingly unhelpful on previous occasions! Therein lies the problem with organising any outside event in the UK... The reason I run these courses is that as well as a beekeeper, I am an artist, and run a life drawing class each Monday … Continue reading Sketching Chickens
The first course of the season was a great success with 5 attendees. It’s so interesting to hear why people want to come on the course or keep bees and interestingly, two were vegan and concerned as to the commercial beekeeping practises. Industrial farming has to make compromises in order to maintain profits but thankfully … Continue reading Introduction to Sustainable Beekeeping