Honey Bees #3: 2020 Honey Harvest
Our Hon’s Honey beekeeper was thrilled to harvest 50 jars of honey from 2 of our 4 hives in 2020.
We borrowed an extractor with a manual crank from our beekeeping mentor.
First, our beekeeper celebrated the beauty of the frames of honey with the other Worker Bees. She used a knife to uncap the combs. The caps fell onto a rack in a bin to drain any remaining honey (none of that good stuff goes to waste!).
As she cranked the handle, centrifugal force pulled the honey from the comb with a satisfying whoosh as it hit the side of the extractor. The honey drained down the side and made a golden pool in the bottom of the extractor. This process was repeated until each of the frames were drained of honey.
She opened the gate on the bottom of the extractor to drain the honey into a food-grade honey bucket. As it slowly flowed from the extractor, it went through 3 screens (each, increasingly more fine) to remove any organic but non-honey items that may have come off the frame during extraction (wax, bee parts, etc).
This honey harvest was such a rewarding experience for our beekeeper. Her loving care and maintenance of the hives resulted in a beautiful product that she harvested with pride. The whole process of beekeeping has been so impactful for her, both as a great skill set that will lead to future success and as an avenue for healing on her journey to a new life.
She says, "It's an honor and a privilege. I have pride in it (beekeeping), not like a boastful pride but like a proud mom. When you pour into them and you see they're happy. They're doing well. They're prospering. It's an honor to be able to be a part of the process. I feel purpose and it's something that's been a long time coming...and the honey tastes good!"
*Hon's Honey Beekeeper on conquering fear in the hive.
