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| Keeping Bees |
Ashley is a kindred spirit who earned degrees in holistic nutrition and sociology. Hmmm... interesting since bees have a community of their own. (Bet she never thought her degree would lead her to that kind of community!) Writing from her North Carolina homestead at the end of a dirt road, Ashley confesses that she wanted to ramp up the production of her vegetable garden when she learned her friend's garden doubled after introducing bees to her yard. So after countless bee club meetings and such, she put her experience and acquired knowledge from her own journey into a book for the Homemade Living Series.
Now I told you that there was more to this book. And it's apparent to me that Ashley has other skills beside beekeeping. Seems to me she has the gift of organization and teaching, because I've looked at a lot of beekeeping books, and none are laid out as nicely as Keeping Bees! For me, this is very desirable because after reading a resource book, I want to be able to reference things quickly because I've got lots of things to do.
The use of colored insets, detailed pictures (both colored and drawings), and clear headings throughout, helps the eye by being both pleasing and practical. And the charts, checklists, and bullet points are excellent (I love these things!). My favorite is on the last page just before the Resources. There you'll find a Bee Care Checklist for the four seasons. I can tell you right now, I'm going to use that a lot!
• questions and concerns before purchasing bees
• hive hierarchy and "beespace"
• hive housing, location, and feeding requirements
• how to intall honeybees (in detail!)
• providing the best health and wellness for your hive
• how to extract honey
• profiles of different beekeepers from a variety of backgrounds
• honey-based recipes!
Give-Away
Sterling Publishing Company is kindly offering a Homestead Revival™ reader the opportunity to win...
• One copy of Keeping Bees by Ashley English
• And a jar of honey!
To enter...
• Leave a comment telling me if you are a beekeeper or if you'd like to become a beekeeper and why you keep or want to keep bees. (Please leave an email address if you do not have a blog so I can contact you if you are the winner.)
• Enter again by blogging, tweeting, or facebook this give-away to your readers and friends. You must link to Homestead Revival™ and leave a comment telling me you've done so.
This give-away ends Friday, March 18, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. PST!
Be sure to visit Ashley at her blog, Small Measure!
All photos from Keeping Bees. A copy of this book was sent to me for review; other than that, I've not been compensated in any way for writing a review of this book. As always, I will give you my honest and personal opinion on items I review and promote.
I am not a bee keeper right now, but would love to do it someday. I've been reading about their lives and habits and think it would be awesome to do my part to give a hive a home! And the added benefit of their pollinating and honey would be an awfully sweet bonus! We are hoping to move to a more rural location soon and bees are on the top of my list for when we get there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway,
Heather
I am not currently a bee keeper, but have been in the past and have a love for all things bee related. Does that qualify me? I kept bees for about 6 years until the diseases in Ohio kept increasing and I kept losing my hive. Anyways, I would still love to win the book as my desire to learn about bees has not decreased, but my appreciation for them and the work they do has only increased.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Oh my goodness, I am so excited about this giveaway! Beekeeping has been a desire for the past three years, when I tasted local honey -- what a difference from the storebought stuff I so disliked! We use honey for all sorts of things around the house, which I am sure are all listed in this book.
ReplyDeleteThere are several reasons I want to get into beekeeping - do my small part to keep the tradition alive, do my small part to keep bees alive!, have a store of honey for all our purposes and to share, the happy thing that is pollination.
Thank you so much for this giveaway!
Facebooked!
ReplyDeletetweeted ( i think?) :)
ReplyDeleteWe're interested in doing bees, but don't know where to start.... maybe here? Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this giveaway! My husband has expressed an interest in beekeeping.
ReplyDeleteI am very much a "wanna bee" and plan to do bees next summer. Goats are on the agenda this year.
ReplyDeleteConcerns about the shortage of bees is one reason I want to keep bees. Another is the honey, of course! The family loves to eat it and I bake bread with it.
I would love to win the book.
I am posting this on my blog AND my Facebook.
ReplyDeleteTwo more entries!
I'm not a beekeeper, but I am interested in possibly introducing this new venture to our farm. This looks like a great book and the jar of honey looks awesome! :)
ReplyDeleteI would love to add bees to my blossoming little piece of property not. It just seems like a natural approach to upping production, especially with all the talk of hive failure here recently. I really enjoy reading your blog and learning along side you. :0)
ReplyDeleteI just love Ashley's other books - I got two from the library, and I caved in and actually bought the one on home dairy! :) I am dying to get my hands on the beekeeping book as well - - - I dream of keeping bees on our fledgling homestead, but I will admit that I am a little . . . scared! Maybe this book could help alleviate my fears. Thanks!
ReplyDeletekate in ny (kateonah@msn.com)
Ohhhh!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking into beekeeping and doing a lot of reading on the subject.
Mainly because we are all huge honey fans around here. And we have fruit trees and a large garden.
Plus I have an odd obsession with the insect world - that helps too!
My husband would love this book. We are not beekeepers, but someday we want to be. We just recently moved to SW Wisconsin and plan on putting in an orchard, so keeping bees would be a huge help...Plus the honey is a sweet bonus.
ReplyDeleteWe are adding ten hives to the (hopefully) two hives we have now. I have a number of books on beekeeping, but anything that helps to clarify it better is a real bonus! I can be found at www.fitzgeraldsfamilyfarm.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book! I have been wanting to raise bees for years but have always been afraid of doing it because it seems so complicated.
ReplyDeleteEven if I don't win, I think I'll purchase this book.
Thanks a ton for the giveaway!
Karen in NE Indiana
mawmaw2five@gmail.com
I linked back to your giveaway on my FB page.
ReplyDeleteThanks again!
Karen in NE Indiana
mawmaw2five@gmail.com
I linked to this on Facebook
ReplyDeletesteele6 (at) att (dot) net
Wow, what a treat to find this giveaway first thing this morning! Beekeeping is our next adventure! This book looks like the perfect resource. Please, put me in for the drawing.
ReplyDeleteI have never kept bees, but it's one of those things that I would love to eventually be able to do. Bees are such amazing little creatures and are so good for the garden, plus all that wonderful honey.... someday. Someday when I have my small piece of land....
ReplyDeletesteele6 (at) att (dot) net
What a coincidence...my neighbor's are bee keepers. I've always thought they were neat, but never really considered keeping them until I read one of your recent posts about the Fruitless Fall...looking to read that soon! I stumbbled upon your blog just before you started the Barn Hop...what my eyes have been opened to these last few weeks is amazing! I have been inspired by so many of the women who have dedicated their lives to keeping their homes as a way to serve the Lord. Not only am I inspired, but I am starving to learn more! I want to learn about keeping bees and this opportunity is perfect (I also put a link on my blog)...even if I don't win, this post has given me direction on where to start! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you share!
ReplyDeleteI am not a beekeeper, but did take a class from our County Association last spring! I would like to help ensure that bees in urban areas continue to thrive.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 hives! I haven't actually read this book and would love to win a copy! I love just watching my bees, they are so beautiful. I will tweet it and post on facebook! I am not sure I know how to link up to this post though. help!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this!!! We're thinking of keeping bees...next spring. I've got a stack of books that I'm reading through on the subject. I'd love to put this one on the top! Enter me, please. :)
ReplyDeleteI just linked to this giveaway through Facebook. Enter me again, please. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, I posted on FB (Bobbi Doll Dougherty), and also Tweeted (dollwood_farms).
ReplyDeleteAmy,
ReplyDeleteWe would LOVE to be a bee keepers! Just yesturday, we picked up 18 fruit trees (10 apple, 4 cherrie and 4 peach) to put on our new homestead and bee keeping is part of our little organic orchard plan...according your recommendation it looks like this book would be a wonderful tool to teach us how to do that!
Homeshalom @ Messilife.com
I blogged about it HERE. Please enter me yet again! Thanks so much! :)
ReplyDeleteCarmen
Old House Kitchen
Of course, I've posted this giveaway on facebook, but I won't be able to blog about it until later today.
ReplyDeleteAmy, I'm not a beekeeper (by any stretch of the imagination!!!) but I have Ashley's book in this series on Canning and Preserving - I love it. It's an excellent book! I have jars of "her" basil tomato sauce sitting in my cupboard right now :)
ReplyDeletexoxo
Jaiem @ Like a Bubbling Brook
Oh, what an amazing giveaway, and so timely. My husband and I started up our homestead in August of '09, and are slowly adding critters, with bees slated as our next project. I hope to get some hives established as soon as the weather gets warmer (though we're in Michigan, so that may be a while!). Please enter me in your contest - this would be such a great resource to have! It seems I have reference books on everything BUT beekeeping. :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, my email is hepkittenink@gmail.com. Thank you!
Also, I don't have a current blog, but I shared this on Facebook. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't currently have bees but it is something my husband and I have talked about. We do have large gardens and I'm interested in how they could benefit our produce!
ReplyDeleteI am not a beekeeper, yet. My gardening is all done at my moms house and she has talked about bees many times in the past. This book looks like an excellent resource and will allow us to make the best choices for us when we do decide to get bees!
ReplyDeleteKeeping Bees would be a facinating read! And a jar of honey! What a bonus!!!!!
ReplyDeletevickimurphyrn@yahoo.com
We are not beekeepers, but it is very intriguing. Would love to know more about this process.
ReplyDeletebertschbunch at q dot com
Shared on my twitter! @sirenical
ReplyDeleteI'd like this book because although I tried to start up a hive last year, they died over the winter. Been scared to death of bees most of my life and consider myself a recovering bee-phobe. Would like to have bees both for the honey and for the pollination and potentially increased yield of produce on my tiny-little-farm.
ReplyDeleteShared on my Facebook page.
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I are beginning to farm in Balimore, MD. Bees are a great way to produce without much space, and we'd also like to see them kept around for a long while!
ReplyDeleteI so would like to read this book. We are in the beginning of our homestead. We just bought 11 acres of land and are preparing a large garden.
ReplyDeleteWe have been looking into getting bees and this will help us know how to tend them and use them. I would love to win this book.
Donna Godfrey
donnagodfrey60@yahoo.com
Although I'm terrified of bees and it's not unusual to see me running around the yard with my arms flailing after running into one...I'm still fascinated with the idea of beekeeping. My city doesn't prohibit bees, but based on my discussion with the health inspector I know he's not a fan so it would be a bit of a risk to try.
ReplyDeleteOh please count me in~ we have added a small orchard on our farm and have thought about adding bees.
ReplyDeleteYou have a lovely blog!
Have a wonderful day~
Blessings from Missouri~
Carrie
Iv been taking baby steps into the homesteading lifestyle for several years. I live at 7000 ft in the Uinta Mountains of Utah near Park City.
ReplyDeleteIv raised horses for many years and have added chickens, goats and a vegtable garden that is still a learning process in our cold climate. Iv been looking into getting a milking Jersey cow and bees for the purpose of producing more of what we consume and becoming more self sufficient. I have five grand children, two I am raising and three live near by. All are school age and growing.....over production of anything Iv produced so far has not been an issue....I will be expanding our garden this year, adding fruits and more vegetables for canning also will be adding more chickens. We have done trade work for hand raised beef and pork. Honey bees is something I think I could get my oldest grandson into....Ill have to get him a bee suit :o)
Blessings,
Susan
I would love to start beekeeping because my son LOVES honey! I think it would be great for him to learn along with me the study of apiculture.
ReplyDeletelisamanfredi@sbcglobal.net
My husband is getting his first bees next week and is beside himself with excitement. I'm sure he'd love to have more resources to consult!
ReplyDeleteMy email address is marne_mercer@att.net.
Marne
That sounds like a fantastic book! We discovered that we lost another hive this winter, which makes two, but the other two are going strong. There is so much to learn about beekeeping!
ReplyDeleteMy father in law was a beekeeper for years and years. His bees died or left and he didn't replace them until last year. While I don't consider myself a beekeeper I do throughly enjoy helping him with bees. I am learning as much as I can from him and I am hoping to start my own hives next year. We both love reading books on bees.
ReplyDeleterkferris@netzero.net
We are getting bees in April. This would be great timing. mstdonnel@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful giveaway! Thank you for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteMy dad has been talking about wanting to have bees...so, I would give the book to him (after taking a peek myself, of course)!
Thanks so much!
Hannah
i tweeted too! http://twitter.com/hhalleck
ReplyDeleteI'm such a wannabe bee keeper! Aside from the obvious blessedness of honey, I love bees for the good they do my garden. The more I learn about them the more fascinating they become.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a great resource!
We haven't started keeping bees yet, but hope to someday! I would love this book. Thanks for the give-away!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read! We'd love to start to keep bees sometime over this next year---just another step on our little homestead and learning more about self-sustaining living...We have the acreage, but I really want to learn more about our cold, long winters and how bees will do here on our property, or if they'd need to be moved for winter months. Thanks for the giveaway :)
ReplyDeleteI would love this book! We want to add bees to our little homestead not only for the delicious honey they provide, but also for the garden benefits that go hand in hand with owning bees.
ReplyDeleteI also blogged about your giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a beekeeper yet...but I will be someday!! Oh I can't wait...
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine who lives on 5 acres of beautiful land told me that her neighbor keeps bees and would be happy to show me around and maybe even mentor me! I am so excited...
Bees interest me. A small hive would be great addition to my fruit trees and garden! Thanks for the opportunity to learn more about keeping bees.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I will be moving to a beautiful farm next month to start out homestead. We are hoping to get bees right away. I'm going to need all the help I can get!
ReplyDeleteI am interested in keeping bees. I know that it involves some work especially in northern Montana's climate. I thought I would get Mason bees to start with. I do have the advantage that a bee keeper has hives on my Parents land so they are given honey. I don't need to ever buy honey and it is local, a blessing. My interested in driven more in the noticeable decline in bees...
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds fantastic! I don't currently keep bees but would like to get started once we move to our country property. I had an uncle who was a beekeeper and I was always fascinated with the hobby. He is long since gone, so I cannot pick his brain about the ins and outs of beekeeping. A resource book like this would be a wonderful substitute for my uncle's wisdom and guidance.
ReplyDeleteSo want to keep bees. I have been kicking it around for months and because of all the great farm and homestead blogging friends, we are getting closer to realizing the dream. Would love this book! xo Caroline
ReplyDeleteI thought I had commented, but I'm not seeing it. I am a hapless beekeeper. I just started my hive last spring...and have no clue what I am doing! I'd love to have this book. Love your blog. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteWe've just moved to our homestead and are still buried in snow, but bees are in the plan! My husband was talking with a guy from the Idaho Beekeeping Club on Sunday. We want to have bees for the honey, for pollination, and simply to give bees a safe, organic place to live and thrive. (we hope) Thanks for all you share!!!
ReplyDeleteBack again to say that I blogged about the book & giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great information :)
Originally I simply wanted to become a beekeeper to produce my own honey. However, after learning about the state of bees in the U.S. I am anxious to keep bees sustainably to help ensure the future health of bees and subsequently everything else!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have been looking into beekeeping for the past couple of years, and this book would be an awesome resource for us! We're wanna "bees" hoping to make the dream come true soon!
ReplyDeletebnteasley@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, I am not yet a beekeeper, but I would LOVE to be one! I love honey (you can ask anyone), and I so appreciate the beautiful little creatures that make it!
ReplyDeleteOh I am so excited about this! Bee keeping is actually what got me following your blog. I am currently working on building a home for some mason bees I plan to purchase from a local nursery here soon. My dream is to one day (sooner than later) keep honey bees, it steams from a fond childhood experience and my more recent obsession with honey. Thanks for this great opportunity! conrad.kallie@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteShared the buzz with all my facebook friends :)
ReplyDeleteI am not a bee keeper however I would love to learn. Having my own honey would be a perk as well as continuing local pollination! Thank you for the offer!
ReplyDeletemywayhome4u at gmail dot com
We tried to become bee keepers last spring. Our bees promptly died in a cold snap at the end of April. Ugh! Trying again this year, need to remind hubby to order the bees.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in learning how to keep bees. I'm trying to become more self-reliant.
ReplyDeletegingeroo616 at aol dot com
I work with someone who discovered a bee hive in his rafters. He killed the bees and removed the hive. I was appauled.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me if beekeepers will come out to remove unwanted hives? Also, do you know anyone locally (Bakersfield)? Thanks
I would love to keep bees eventually...anything to help become more self sufficient!
ReplyDeleteI share this on my FB page!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhomesteadrevival.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fgive-away-keeping-bees.html%3Fspref%3Dfb&t=Give+Away%3A+Keeping+Bees%21
mywayhome4u at gmail dot com
I posted about this on the Mrs. Survival forum.
ReplyDeletehttp://mrssurvival.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=42811&st=0&p=355734&#entry355734
Hi Amy!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness we have bees in our corn crib that were there when we bought the farm nearly 2 years ago. This as sparked an interest in bee keeping and we have been looking on the internet for information on hives and equipment and advice. I would LOVE to win your book so please put me in for your draw....thank you! Ooo and a jar of honey would be wonderful as well :)
Maura :)
I would love to win this give-away - I don't have bee's yet but I would love to have some one day! Awesome give-away!
ReplyDeleteAmy - I tweeted about your give-away!
ReplyDeleteI just got a beehive and equipment last week. I've never had bees and know nothing about beekeeping...I just know I want to learn. A beekeeper I will be. Going to my first beekeeper association meeting the end of the month to help me on my bee learning journey. Wish me luck! Hope I win the giveaway, because I'd definitely put it to good use!
ReplyDeleteI just started to keep bees a few years ago (top bar hives). I lost one hive to a cold winter and very late spring warm up, the other to repeated swarms. I've learned a lot. Moved both empty hives from Colorado to northeast Washington, and will try again this year. Would love to read the book. jeninspokane at wildblue dot net.
ReplyDeleteOh! The book looks fabulous. I don't currently raise bees but plan to in the near future. Reality is that I live in the city on a corner lot and we plan/hope to be here for no more than 3 years. My husband is concerned with trying to establish a colony here and then moving across the country. Why do I want bees? To help with with my veggies and their wonderful liquid gold.
ReplyDeleteLet's "bee" real- I want the honey! I do appreciate though all the other benefits as well like polinating our fruit trees and beeswax for candles and soap! :)
ReplyDeleteI posted this to my FB page! :)
ReplyDeleteMy brother in law used to keep bees. He never replaced them when they died one winter, but we loved that honey. I don't think it will take too much talking to get my husband to agree to them in the future. He loved that alfalfa and sage honey.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have bee someday! I think its would be a great experience for me and my family plus great for my garden! Kristy barrelracerky@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI facebooked this post:) barrelracerky@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteMy husband & I have just been discussing taking on beekeeping ~ those poor little bees need all the help we can give them! And we need them too!
ReplyDeleteI would love to start bee keeping! It would be a great experience for me and my family.
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated by keeping bees! We are new to homesteading, but maybe in a year or two this could be a reality for us. I'd love to win!
ReplyDeleteWe attempted beekeeping last year, but lost both our hives. We will be giving it another go in a few weeks. We could certainly use this book, and the honey would be a bonus! We keep bees to support local agriculture, to help save the bee, and to further our pursuit of being more self-sustainable.
ReplyDeleteI am not a beekeeper yet, but have been looking into it for several years! Our neighbor has bees but they have been dying off and our fruit trees (we have 22 old trees) have not been producing well as a result. Though I am alergic to bee stings, I want to try bees.(I'll need a very good suit!) And I love using honey as a replacement for sugar in many of my recipes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting this *sweet giveaway*!
My husband and I don't have bees yet, but we've been talking about it for the past year. As of right now, our property isn't zoned for beekeeping. So we are trying to find out if it is possible to keep bees at my parents house. In the past year we tore up our yard for a garden, got seven chickens, and just bought two angora rabbits. It's a little overwelming, so we might wait a few months before we get bees. But I'm really looking forward to homegrown honey!
ReplyDeleteI posted the link of Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI don't keep bees, but would love to. I am fascinated by them. I once had a wild swarm in the neighbor's pasture...got up very close to take pictures and that was exciting. However, they moved to the neighbor's roof under the eaves and he sprayed them!! ugh!!!!! I really wanted to figure out how to keep them. I have a big 10 acre pasture, so there's plenty of room. I am intimidated though, because I have heard it is hard to keep bees.
ReplyDeleteps- I facebooked ya!
ReplyDeleteand I put a link on my blog!
ReplyDeleteMy husband had bees while he was growing up and we bought bees for our 2 hives last year. We lost one hive...no idea why. But we are not giving up, picking up more bees near the end of April. SO, would love this book. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteyep- wanna keep bees.... this is great!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Just writing another comment to let you know that I blogged about your giveaway at:
ReplyDeletehttp://willandmaryfrances.blogspot.com/2011/03/beekeeping.html
and I "facebooked" it as well! Keeping my fingers crossed!
I'm not a beekeeper, but I hope to 'bee' someday! ;) My coworker's husband keeps bees, so I'd have a mentor. I'd really love to have the ladies in my yard to help pollinate my garden and to have a large supply of honey!
ReplyDeleteWhile I am not a beekeeper, I love to learn about sustainable living measures. What better skill to add than raising such a beneficial creature?
ReplyDeleteOsbornadventures.blogspot.com Linked it on my blog and shared it on Facebook!
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to start keeping bees, mainly for the honey, but also to help keep them alive, and to help pollinate the plants we will be planting this year!
ReplyDeleteWe just moved to our farm and are getting started with everything. Bees are on my list. This book sounds like a great resource. I don't have a blog, but maybe I need to start one of those too.
ReplyDeletechristysfarm@yahoo.com
We are hoping to start beekeeping, especially after reading our GRIT magazine with a neat kind of hive. i would love to read this book. keep up the great posts too, they are really good.
ReplyDeleteWe use a lot of raw honey here. While we do have a local source where we can purchase it, my husband has been talking about wanting to have our own. What a great resource this would be Maybe it would be the push, and burst of confidence that we need to finally take that dive.
ReplyDelete-Cat
thechattycat@gmail.com -
Great giveaway! We have been talking about getting bees. My husband is actually the one researching and planning. I've read alot about them so was very excited when he got interested! I would love to have them for the honey and all the help they would be for our gardens!
ReplyDeleterckurschner@gmail.com
Not a beekeeper yet but I am planning on adding this adventure. Until than I am providing a home for our local carpenter bees. In our desert environment they are the most important pollinator and I have plenty of fruittrees that need just that.
ReplyDeleteThe thought that keeping bees just might up production in my vegetable garden sounds good to me. So, I just mentioned the giveaway on my blog, too.
ReplyDeleteI am not a beekeeper, but would love the book to see if this is something I can do on my property. Love Ashley and her blog!
ReplyDeleteMy husband ordered bees 2 days ago. We will be beekeepers soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a beekeeper, but dream about it from time to time. While WWOOFing on a farm in Hawaii I was lucky to spend the day with the bees and actually had to kill the Queen. It was so sad, but also kinda exhilirating. So much so that I'll be taking some classes and meeting people about doing more of this awesome bee stuff. Thank you for the opportunity to win such a great gift!
ReplyDeleteWe are expecting our nuc in three weeks. Hopefully, we won't kill this colony too.
ReplyDeleteAmber
I sure would like to win this book. We have just started our first garden. I have looked into how beneficial bees keeping would be for our garden and us. So we have decided to start our bee keeping adventures soon. I am so excited!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this chance to win.
God Bless you and yours!
Tina Kay
Count me in too! I've been a beekeeper for 3 years. It's important to me since my grandfather has kept bees for as long as I can remember. It's something we share and I am happy that he gets to teach my kids (his great-grandkids!) too.
ReplyDeleteAlthough we do not keep bees yet, we hope to one day. After moving from a large city to a large piece of land in the countryside, we are slowly making changes. Last year we started a large vegetable garden, along with a tiny orchard of cherry, plum, peach and apple trees. This year, we are adding chickens, ducks, and a turkey to our home.
ReplyDeleteWe always buy local honey, especially to help with my husband's allergies. I was saddened when our local honey farm was 'out' of honey for months, due to problems with some of their hives. Given the decline of honeybee populations, we feel that especially since we are doing things organically, perhaps we help in a very small way one day.
Great site, just discovered it, thank you!
I'm not a beekeeper yet, but I would love to be.
ReplyDeletelovelydomesticdiva (at) gmail (dot) com
ok, I'm another wanna'-bee keeper. My husband was going to help me get started a few years ago, and I simply wasn't in the correct "season" to pursue it. Now, I think this could be the time! What a great give-away! Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to keep bees! We only have 1 acre, but we have friends who have kept bees in the city at the back of their large backyard, so I think it is doable!
ReplyDeleteNot a beekeeper but something I would consider in the future...this book sounds like a great place to start!
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I am not a bee keeper, but in just a few years when my husband retires from the military, we plan to have our own sustainable homestead. Bees would be perfect for ensuring great pollination for our garden, and the honey that they produce will be a great substitute instead of refined sugar.
ReplyDeleteI would love to own this book! I am not a beekeeper but am interested in becoming one. The bees would be great pollinators for my garden, plus my husband brews his own beer, wine and mead. He'd love to have his own supply of honey for mead.
ReplyDeletem23boys@me.com
Please count me in! I haven't started yet but I am very interested in keeping bees. For me its location - my apartment complex isn't too keen on me keeping bees. So I am looking into orchards to keep at. I want to keep bees because of their work pollinating our food. Plus, with recent decline, I think we should all help them out and keep bees.
ReplyDeleteLast summer wasn't so great in the Pacific NW and I had many plants that flowered but weren't pollinated. That led me to thinking bees would be a great addition to the garden. Just have to convince my landlord...
ReplyDeleteOh Amy!
ReplyDeleteWhat a GREAT give-away!!!
I've been interested in beekeeping for a couple of years now and we had talked about getting bees for this spring and had to post-pone.
It's still a dream I have and I just know we will be doing this in the near future;)
We visited a local beekeeper last June and talking to him truly gave me a love for the honey bee where I wanted to learn more.
Thanks for the chance at this give-away!!!
I blogged about it here:
ReplyDeletehttp://homegrownandbeeyoutiful.blogspot.com/2011/03/keeping-beesgive-away.html
I don't bee keep right now, but I am moving to Uganda and would love to have some fresh honey there! I would love to be able to share and educate the village I'll be working with there as well.
ReplyDeletemaryelizabethps103@gmail.com
I'm not a beekeeper (yet), but would very much like to be. In part, I'm concerned about the decline of bees, and would like to keep my own hives. I'd also like to produce some more of my own food, and home-made (?) honey sounds divine. For purely selfish reasons, I also think that learning to keep bees would force me to learn how to slow down and calm down a bit more, which also sounds very appealing.
ReplyDeleteWe really beleive in diversity, and beekeeping is something we plan to incorporate to especially enhance our soon-to-be orchard. Hoping to join the ranks within a year!
ReplyDeleteI get my first bees next month and need all the help I can get! I would love to win this book.
ReplyDeleteFacebook-ed this give away
ReplyDeleteI would love to be included in your drawing. We have chickens and are getting dairy goats; bee keeping is something that I've been interested in for a long time. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI would love to win this book! I have been looking into beekeeping for a little over a year. I have been looking for a book for reference. I see the need to help the bees and i would like to increase my vegetable garden production. As well as the benefits of the honey.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the opportunity!
Rachelle
crrbennett@consolidated.net
Hi there! My beekeeping class starts tomorrow night-so it would be awesome to win this book! I'm not really sure why I want to keep bees-I just think it is something that I am interested in doing, will provide honey for my family, and will provide honey for my farm stand. Other than that, I think I will look rather fetching in one of those old-fashioned, wide brimmed, beekeeping hats! ;)
ReplyDeleteWe do not have bees right now, but it is something we are seriously looking into!! I have been interested in it for awhile, but we lived the city life up until about 1 year ago. Now we are on the right track living a country life. I would love to have bees for the honey for the family. Natural honey will help my son and myself with alergies!!
ReplyDeleteHi! Our family would love to explore this book. We do not currently have bees, but we have been discussing beginning beekeeping with some friends of ours. Between our 2 families we have 7 children who are extremely fascinated with bees and especially honey! One of my sons has bad seasonal allergies and years ago his allergist recommended local honey. Currently we purchase it in town, but how wonderful to be able to have our own! And on top of that, the day this giveaway ends, Friday March 18th, is our anniversary! Thanks for the opportunity!
ReplyDeleteWendy
thelassiters@comcast.net
Keeping bees is on my wish list of things to do. We have a large garden and I would love more bees to pollinate it! Plus, I think bees are so interesting to watch!
ReplyDeleteI think the bee population is in crisis right now and I would love to be a part of restoring a healthy bee population. I have been making notes on the books you recommend- my amazon wishlist keeps growing! Thanks for recommendations!
I have been wanting to keep bees for several years! We just haven't been in a good place for it, but I am hoping soon!!! We use tons of honey around here, and nothing beats the flavour of raw local honey! Plus I use beeswax in my diaper rash ointment for our littlest... And the benefits for my garden and fruit trees, that would be great too! Thanks so much for the chance!
ReplyDeleteI am not a beekeeper yet but I really want to be! I am trying to get ready to do it this Spring and this book would be a wonderful help! I want to keep bees because I love honey and I also like to make candles so I would love to have the beeswax. I also garden and am growing fruit trees and I would love to have all the polination help that the bees would give.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of having our very own honey for health reasons and because my goal is to produce just as much of our own food as possible.
My dad got bees this past year. And we are planning to get bees sometime soon too. Just looking for the right opportunity. We use honey in bread making and other baking. It would also be neat if it helps in our gardening too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance at winning this book!
No, we don't have bees yet, but I'd like to someday......on our never ending list of things to learn and do. I would love to have our own honey and bees to pollinate our garden and someday fruit trees and berry bushes.
ReplyDeleteWe "rent" out our land to a bee keeper. He keeps a few hives and will pay us in honey. I started planting lots of lavender. Last year we were rewarded with a gorgeously blooming yard. We are studying up and hoping to have a couple of our own hives very soon.
ReplyDeleteBees are amazing! So cool to watch and study!
I am not currently a beekeeper but I really want to be. I used to be very afraid because I was stung by a whole mess of wasps when I was a kid, but I love the idea of fresh honey and have been reading a lot about it. I want to get as much information as I can so I know what to do when the time comes. You can contact
ReplyDeleteMy in-laws are doing bee keeping for the first time this year. This would be a great book for them. I totally want to raise bees!
ReplyDeleteI tweeted about the giveaway too!
ReplyDeleteI have been talking to my husband about keeping bees on our five acres. I definitely want to do it for the honey and the pollination but I am also concerned about the decline of bees. Thanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWith 145 comments, I know my chances are slim to none, but I have to throw my hat in for the drawing. I am getting my first bees any day as a local man is getting rid of his many hives and I have offered to take a hive with only his basic instructions. I'm pretty clueless and will have to learn quickly! But I want so much to see our bees continue with the best chance possible. That's why I'm entering.
ReplyDeleteI am not currently a beekeeper, but my husband is interested in it...I'm a little nervous about the idea, but maybe with more info, it will be less intimidating. We'd like to homestead, to depend less on Wal-mart for food.
ReplyDeletemattnbekah08@hotmail.com
Hi
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have this book.
We have just moved to a half acre property in the city and hope to start urban farming.
Bees on are my wish list.
thanks so much for the opportunity.
We just moved 40 miles away from the big city and starting to homestead our 16 acres. It's like starting all over again. WE had a nice garden at the old house with a fig tree and 10 pecans. WE just ordered our chickens yesterday, can't wait for that adventure. We wont have a summer garden this year but start with a winter garden. We want to have bees too. I want to do everything all at once, garden, cows, goats, chickens, bees...but???? But taking it one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteAndi
andi(dot)maddux(at)gmail(dot)com
My DH has been threatening to become a beekeeper for years. We have the land and a decent environment. I enjoy honey. If we are going to do it I would like to be involved and know the right way to do things. Love this post and know I would read the book cover to cover.
ReplyDeleteSharing this post on Facebook
ReplyDeleteWe are planning to do bees. Mostly for the honey but also for the good of the bee population and for pollination. Would love a book with new information. We struggle with location and keeping our little children safe. So any encouragement on the subject will be useful.
ReplyDeleteI am not currently keeping bees (do so in an apartment is not ideal), but when my husband and I move (very soon) I will be. My grandfather kept bees when I was young and I always enjoyed having fresh, raw honey around. I've never been one to like the store-bought processed stuff.
ReplyDeleteRecently, my grandfather sold all of his bees, so no more fresh honey from him :(
I have wanted to keep bees for years and am finally taking a workshop over the next two Saturdays on the subject. I'm so excited to learn all I can and to meet other beekeepers so I can have plenty of mentors as I move forward. Thanks so much for your blog and the giveaway! thedawnharris@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteDear Heather, we would love to keep bees! thank you for hosting this give away! dendenisejs@gmai.com
ReplyDeleteWe don't yet have bees, but plan to once we get our privacy fence installed (so hopefully by next spring!) since that is required by city ordinance. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!
ReplyDeleteCathy
greyhoundgirl29 at yahoo dot com
My husband and I want to get some bees someday. We just started keeping chickens las fall and we're going for turkeys this spring, so bees sound like they may be in the near future! We don't really know much about them, other than they are awesome, so this book would help us out so much!
ReplyDeleteI would love to keep bees. I think it is so important that we all work to preserve this vital species and after reading your post "How Beekeeping has Changed," my husband and I have had daily talks about how perfect our 2 acres would be to keep a hive thriving.
ReplyDeletekmimming@gmail.com
I put it on my facebook page with a link to your giveaway.
ReplyDeleteHi Amy, I just figured out how to link the giveaway to my facebook account! Learn something new every day, I guess!
ReplyDeleteKate in NY
(kateonah@msn.com)
Bees are definitely one thing I want to keep! We will be getting our homestead in the next 2-5 years, and the first two things I want are bees and chickens.
ReplyDeleteyelloweyedcat AT gmail
I would like to keep bees because I LOVE honey and I grow so many different plants and trees in my yard, I'm sure my bees would make excellent honey.
ReplyDeleteI've tweeted the giveaway from @poodle_power
ReplyDeleteWe're putting in an "orchard" of semi-dwarf trees and I would love to start keeping bees so that they could work together. It has nothing to do with delicious, sweet, lovely honey. Honest.
ReplyDeleteWe just moved from a condo in the city to a a house with 2 acres of property. We're really excited about starting our mini-homestead and living a more environmentally sustainable, and more prepared, life. We're putting in an orchard as soon as the ground thaws, and have plans for a garden and chickens as well as bees. It's a lot to take on, but we have to start somewhere! Bees are a big part of the environmental sustainability factor, and will help other elements of our homestead flourish.
ReplyDelete- Lisa H. (lisahiggs at gmail dot com)
I really want to keep bees! This book would be a great resource. Abby Jo @Forgotten Way blog @ Homestead Dryingracks.com
ReplyDeleteWe have been pondering it for a while now, and have eyeballed a spot on our 40 acres. I assisted in introducing queens to hives one sultry summer day, many years ago. Fascinating experience!
ReplyDeleteWe do not currently keep bees, but would like to exploring doing it. My children have a fascination with insects and a love of honey. I have an interest in all things natural.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn and be able to keep bees. I've thought about doing this for a year and a half. I would love them mostly for the benefits to my gardens. Honey would be an added benefit. :) Thanks for the opportunity. Heather (jaftys at yahoo dot com)
ReplyDeleteI found this blog thru Cultivating Home and I love Ashley's blog too. I can't wait to have bees! doingdomestic@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through Sweet Homestead Alabama - I love bees. My family had several hives while I was a child and I loved helping my father with them. I love the sounds and smells of a happy bee hive and bees are so interesting to watch! I enjoy learning about different methods of beekeeping and hope to have my own bees again soon. jfletch21@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI would very much like this book, not to mention the honey. I get my honey from a couple of beekeepers I know and it seems like an interesting undertaking.
ReplyDeleteI do not currently keep bees but I would love to! I love the idea of natural sweetness! Thanks so much!!
ReplyDeletekennarog@aol.com