Alli-Bear Honey. Coming Soon!

Christmas morning brought the next stage of our evolution from city dwellers to ranchers – a beehive! I have wanted to keep bees since before our move to Missouri, but was always halted by space, city ordinances, and time.

I have not been granted the gift of time, but city ordinances are a thing of my past and I am surrounded by spaces that are perfect for this next adventure.

In it for more than the honey

My initial beekeeping goal was to improve vegetable production in the garden. Which, they will do. But, I have also learned that bees will travel two to three miles from their hive to gather pollen and nectar. Which means they will also do wonders for grass and clover production throughout the LAAN Limousin pastures. Our cattle rely on high-protein food sources found in flowering plants and forage crops like lespedeza, clover, and alfalfa. All of which require bee pollination for seed production.

Since grade school we have all heard and learned that the honey bee plays a critical role in our food production and the health of our environment. The LAAN Bee colony will be no different when it comes to helping our ranch, environment, and food productions – and, who can turn down fresh honey?

We won’t bring the colony to the ranch until May. But watch for future Farm Journal entries that will document our successes and the lessons we learn along the way.