Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Keeping Bees and Chickens...And a Bit of Gardening

"One woman's charming and personal account of abandoning the rat race to live blissfully as a beekeeper and honey entrepreneur—plus everything you'd ever want to know about bees. Ten years ago, Marina Marchese fell in love with bees during a tour of a neighbor's honeybee hives. Surprised to find that allowing docile honeybees to crawl across her hands instilled a serene tranquility and comfort, Marina quit her job, acquired her own bees, built her own hives, harvested honey, earned a certificate in apitherapy, studied wine tasting in order to transfer those skills to honey tasting, and eventually opened her own business. Today, Red Bee Honey sells artisanal honey and honey-related products to shops and restaurants all over the country. Honeybee: Lessons From an Accidental Beekeeper is not only a warm and inspiring story of one woman's intimate experience with honeybees (arguably the most industrious creatures on earth) but it is also bursting with fascinating and practical information about all aspects of bees, beekeeping, and honey, including life inside the beehive and the role of the queen, drones, and workers; how bees make honey; pollination and its importance in sustaining life; building a beehive; hiving and keeping honeybees; harvesting honey and comb; healing with honey and the practice of apitherapy; and much, much more. Recipes for food, drink, and personal care products are included throughout. Also included is a detailed appendix of 75 different varieties of honey." (from Amazon.com)

"Keeping Bees and Making Honey by Alison Benjamin is a stunning, comprehensive and attractive lifestyle guide to beekeeping packed with images, information, practical advice, useful resources and recipes. Whether you have a tiny balcony or acres of land; live in the middle of a city or in the countryside surrounded by flowers, you can keep bees. Keeping Bees and Making Honey caters for every situation, and covers everything you will need to consider before you set up your colony – including when and how to tell the neighbours! 'Understanding your bees' introduces you to the history of bees and humans, the anatomy of a honey bee, the variety of species that you are likely to encounter, the caste system within a colony of queen, worker and drone, and the birth and life cycle of bees. 'What to consider' suggests factors to consider before keeping bees, from the space where you will house your hives to children and pets. Learn about the variety of hives available and how they work, as well all the important things that you will need including protective clothing, a smoker and hive tool, as well as honey-harvesting equipment. There are a variety of sources for purchasing your bees and 'Where and when to get your bees' will give you all the advice you need covering the nucleus, packaged bees, full colonies and tips on marking the queen. There are detailed sections on pollen and supers. 'Gardening for bees' will help you consider the best flowers to supply nectar and pollen to your bees whilst ensuring your garden looks great! It is probably the prospect of home-grown honey that entices most people to keep bees. 'All about honey' will show you how bees make honey, and how to harvest, jar and sell your honey. There is a whole chapter devoted to other bee products, from uses of beeswax; candles and cosmetics, to delicious recipes made with honey. Finally, 'Health and care' will ensure that your apiary stays clean and tidy, and your colony is pest free, strong and vigorous." (from Amazon.com)

"Raising chickens is a growing trend hitting urban and suburban areas, as well as the country. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Raising Chickens by Jerome D. Belanger covers every aspect of raising chickens, whether one lives in the country, suburb, or city. People wanting their own supply of organic, additive-free, free-range eggs want to know how to keep their chickens healthy and egg producing." (from Amazon.com)

  • How to choose what to start with-chicks, pullets, or hens
  • How best to feed and water
  • Coverage of the most popular breeds
  • Everything about eggs, including how to sell them"
"Christine Heinrichs, author of the critically acclaimed How to Raise Chickens, teaches you how to care for every type of feathered friend. Backed by the National FFA Organization, our acclaimed series of How to Raise guides has helped countless first-time animal owners across the United States confidently care for their new companions. In this freshly updated second edition of How to Raise Poultry: Everything You Need to Know, fowl expert Christine Heinrichs offers her seasoned advice in raising 14 different poultry species: chickens, ducks, emus, geese, swans, turkeys, guinea fowl, peacocks, pheasants, quail, partridge, pigeons, ostriches, and rheas. From feeding and housing to husbandry and health, from showing and marketing to legal concerns, Heinrichs clearly details the differing requirements of each kind of poultry. With her comprehensive approach, fully illustrated with instructional photography, you’ll be well-equipped to select breeds, keep your birds healthy, harvest and sell products, and hatch new generations—whether you want eggs, meat, feathers, hides, or simple companionship." (from Amazon.com)

"For every gardener who cares about the planet, this guide to designing a bee garden helps you create a stunningly colorful, vibrant, healthy habitat that attracts both honeybees and native bees. In The Bee-Friendly Garden, award-winning garden designer Kate Frey and bee expert Gretchen LeBuhn provide everything you need to know to create a dazzling garden that helps both the threatened honeybee and our own native bees. No matter how small or large your space, and regardless of whether you live in the city, suburbs, or country, just a few simple changes to your garden can fight the effects of colony collapse disorder and the worldwide decline in bee population that threatens our global food chain. There are many personal benefits of having a bee garden as well! Bee gardens
  • contain a gorgeous variety of flowers
  • bloom continuously throughout the seasons
  • are organic, pesticide-free, and ecologically sustainable
  • develop healthy and fertile soil
  • attract birds, butterflies, and other beneficial insects
  • increase the quantity of your fruit and vegetable harvest
  • improve the quality, flavor, and size of your produce" (from Amazon.com)
"Many gardeners fear chickens will peck away at their landscape. But you can keep chickens and have a beautiful garden, too! In this essential handbook, award-winning garden designer Jessi Bloom offers step-by-step instructions for creating a beautiful and functional space while maintaining a happy, healthy flock. Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom covers everything a gardener needs to know, from the basics of chicken keeping and creating the perfect chicken-friendly garden design to building innovative coops." (from Amazon.com)

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