Apiary Training and a whole lotta planting

We are getting ready to start our venture in all things honey bee. Klint went to WVHoneyBees to get some training in how to care for honey bees, as well as hive maintenance and over wintering. In May, we will be getting two Nucs and establishing two hives. If we are successful, we hope to have some honey next year.

On another note, we finally got a big shipment of trees, bushes, vines, potatoes, and onions. The blueberry patch is all planted with our 2 different varieties of blueberries. We have 6 rhubarb plants started in our square garden which should be ready for harvest in three years. We got all our trees planted for the orchard and have our seasonally temperamental trees in pots so we can give them extra warmth and attention in the colder months. Our trees should begin providing fruit in about four years. Grape vine starts have been set in place and we are hopeful to have a beautiful grape vine archway in the next couple of years. Our deck railing containers are slowly getting filled with shallots, onions, etc and our large raised bed now has blue and Yukon gold potatoes in the soil.

Things are slowly coming along on the homestead. Crazy to think we have to invest so much forethought and time into developing the food we love to eat, but it will be all worth it when we get to taste the fruits of our labor!