Interesting Info on Honey Bees

Great Interview by Lynne Rossetto Casper of Dr Marla Spivak on The Splendid Table.

More Dirt on Dirt.

Here is a fantastic resource for dirt issues. I have just started working on my microbes in my garden soil. It makes so much sense I now think about what is going on in the garden soil when my plants don't seem to be doing well.

Get the Dirt on Dirt

I have believe I have posted links to Dirt The movie before. I wanted to post a new link so any one wanting to watch the film online can do so. If you have not seen this film I strongly recommend watching it. Dirt is where we came from and it is when we will return. It is so important to a existence. We need to make sure we protect it.

Mesonet Weather for next week

The outlook doesn't look good for us. We are right on the border of below normal rain and above normal temperatures. La Nina lingers on.

Great Article at Kitchen Gardens

How much is your Home Garden Worth. It seems most can save you over 2000 bucks.

When it rains it pours

I guess there is something to that saying. I hope the drought is over.

Agriculture Weather for next week.

Soil and Health Library.

I ran across this free resource The Online Soil and Health Library. . A good reference to have listed in your bookmarks. Happy Earth Day...Save our soil.

Happy Earth Day.

In celebration of Earth Day 2011, Bill and I hived two packages of Honey Bees. We were actually expecting the packages yesterday, but it was kinda nice to get them for Earth day. I chose the video below because he does it the gentle way. We are not big about slamming the package against the hive frames and knocking the bees out. We prefer to put and empty hive box on the hive bottom board. Place the package of bees in the empty box. Open the package and remove the syrup can and queen cage. Then we place a box of frames over the open package and place the queen cage in the middle of the frames, and let the bees leave the package on their own. A week later we will go back in and remove the empty box and package and make sure the queen is out of her cage.

A Place in the Sun.

I have been thinking a lot about the challenging times we live in, and Mahatma Gandhi's concept of Swadeshi, or “localized economics,” keeps coming into my thoughts.

I had heard that in Russia, over 90 percent of vegetables are grown locally on allotments or Dachas . It seems that in certain parts of Russia, a family is awarded a small parcel of land outside of the city in which to grow food. The family will leave the City on weekends and go out to the county side and work in their gardens. They often will build some sort of shelter or camp on it. Families who were unable to gain access to a parcel will often join families who do have a parcel and work together in a communal effort.

I am saddened when I see just how far the United States has demonized community efforts and security in the name of Objectivism or Selfishness. It seems the more you oppress people the great a person you are. It use to be and should be the other way around.

When the United States was first occupied by the English, land was set aside for the common use. We still hear this custom in the use of village commons or greens in place names. The Native Americans had a custom of holding all land in common for the use of the Tribe. It was not until the 1950s suburbia automobile society did we disconnect with the custom of providing a place for people to grow food. aka: Community Gardens or Victory Gardens.

As with Gandhi we are starting to reach a point where we have to start re-localizing our world. It is going to be the only way we can guarantee our survival as the global economy leaves more of us behind.

7 barriers that keep us from taking part in our communities, even when we truly care.

I came across this short presentation, and I wanted to share it with you. When we are trying to get people to more involved in food issues and resilience, I think it is important to understand why some people just tune us out. I hope David Meslin can give you some insight on what obstacles and barriers are put in place to protect the status quo, so you can recognize them and see them for what they are. Be a counter weight the world needs more actual leadership.

Local foods taste good.

With the price of gasoline rising, now may be the time to start enjoying a more local diet. Here is 8 ways to get you started. I often joke about after you pick and eat your first fresh garden tomato you will never buy the ones at the supermarket again. Which is true in my case.

With transport prices going up our food security is in jeopardy. I was at a local cafe eating dinner last Wednesday evening, and there was a sign that stated "Tomato on Salad by request only". This is where we are headed I am afraid. We can no longer afford crappy tasteless Tomatoes.

Agriculture Weather for next week.

Good news La Nina is starting to break up over the pacific. We should be moving out of the drought and back into our normal weather pattern. I finished 2010 8" below normal and I believe we are 4" below normal for the 2011. That is a lot of moisture missing for our environment.

USDA Honey Report for March

The USDA Honey Report for March was released yesterday. The Beekeepers here in Northeastern Oklahoma were concerned about the dryness preventing a nectar flow. I hope the rain we got Thursday will boost the Black Locust flow. A lot of Beekeepers are expecting swarming this weekend. If you see a swarm you can call me.

Mistaken Identity

Bill and I were out walking the Dog last week when we noticed what looked like a very large Bumble Bee eating nectar from the neighbor's Phlox. I was surprised because I have never seen a bee that large. After a few moments of observation, we came to the conclusion that it was actually a Hummingbird. But I was still surprised because I have never seen a Hummingbird that small. For the next several evenings we continues to see these creatures on different neighbor's phlox through out the neighborhood, and it made us curious to find out just what they are.

Bill started looking at all the Hummingbird species and could not find one that matched the marking of what we were seeing. He asked our neighbor who is a bird expert about these hummingbirds and she could not tell us what they are, but did tell us that it was probably a migratory species just passing through.

I was sitting at the computer last night and I started googling different terms and much to my surprise there was a picture of one of these mysterious creatures. Turns out it is actually a moth.



Here is the Hummingbird Imposters article from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Seems they are a species of The Hawk Moth which include the larvae of the Tomato Horn Worm.



I am posting a picture of a Horn Worm with parasitic wasp eggs on it, with the hope of illustrating how important it is to think about what kind of pesticides we use around our garden. I like to be treatment free, in the Beehive as well as the garden. It is important to remember that what we use to kill the worms will also kill any predators that may need that worms to exist. Even though BT is promoted as harmless to Humans and other creatures, there is harm in using it. Not only to the wasp who need the worms to reproduce and will do a very good job controlling your worms but also the Bat who loves to eat Hawk Moths as well as Mosquitoes.



So think about the bigger picture before you run to the store and purchase those so called harmless crop protection chemicals. With a little research you will find that some creature out there will gladly solve your problem for free. You just need to find out which ones and how to make them feel at home in your garden.

New look for our resurrection

With Easter and spring comes re-birth. Which is what is blog needs. Thank up Okie Dragon for posting the few contributions and keeping an appearance of life.

Millions Invested - Story at 11

Smiles - imagine you have containers of seeds tucked away for the next season. Imagine you had to pull them out of the freezer since a door was left open and thing melted. Cardboard boxes were eliminated and plastic container are now filled with seeds - seeds that you bought on sale, or rare seeds that cost outrageous amounts. And they need to be assessed and written down and put in order. I have 8 containers of vegetable seeds - greenbeans fill one container alone. Two bags of mixed butterfly and hummingbird seeds that will cover 1000 feet in another - small tiny plastic zip bags have 5-7 seeds of some Siberian tomato and sandwich bags full of cilantro seed - aka coriander. I bought a pound of that stuff - it was cheap.


Greenhouse is zinging along - perennials being transplanted - basil popping up faster than usual with the warm weather - moon time has passed but the seeds were delayed due to snows. Now it gets so hot we can't stand the heat - 100 degree swings in temperature. Dad always said only fools and foreigners tried to predict our weather but today they are pretty good. But the swings - the bushes are budding. The daffodils are coming up and the naked ladies have 10 inches of growth - it came up under the snows.

I wish I could calculate the value of all my seeds - I must have 40 varieties of gourds, cut back on tomatoes, but went crazy on eggplant. I want to plant out but I know without a doubt there is going to be another hard hit - it's Oklahoma afterall.

Three tomato seedlings came up in the lemon grass that was dug in the fall, and I rescued them - now there are tomatoes setting fruit - and the plants are reaching 3 feet up. I usually don't waste the space on such extravagances - but just cutting off a leaf and smelling it is almost worth the time and effort.

I won't be selling all summer at markets - the farm will contain my product - customers can come out with me gone, find a bit of change or leave me a check - and bag your own. I'm still working over the seed selections - wondering if I am going to have to make another trip to OK City for more pots - it's coming - it's not going to be the same - I think it will be worse - the weather is stronger, weirder, different. Hang on - we are in for a wild ride.

January - Seed Catalogs and Orders

Nothing here since August - or did I read that wrong. It is really hard to find time to think of something interesting - so is anyone reading this. If I don't get a yeah or somethig - I won't see a need.