See How It Is Done!
Family Owned, Parent Taught, Kid Operated
Honey, Honey, Honey
A few years ago, the Benton bunch ventured out to do their first entrepreneurial market. The customers were amazing and they had an excellent return. There was a customer who genuinely asked, "Is this real honey?" We stuttered a bit not expecting this question. "Yeees, it is real honey that was extracted from our own bee hives on our land." He replied with, "Your own beehives?" We again explained, "Yes, we extracted ourselves from our own hives." He was astonished. "You kids extracted it yourselves? That is amazing."
Now you know...this is real honey that they extracted themselves from their own beehives!
So for the curious man at our first market and all you inquisitive customers, this newsletter is for you!!
If you missed last week, click here!
Ever wonder how
your delicious honey was prepared?
Enjoy our play by play!!
Beekeeping Starts EARLY in the Morning!
Suit It Up, Zip It Up, Check It Out
Bees are fantastic about getting into small spaces. Any small hole is an opportunity for a bee to sneak his way into your suit.
Since bees have been proven to be able to have facial recognition, we need to make sure our suits are secure because we might be their friend or their enemy....especially since we are robbing their honey.
Smoke It Out
A bee smoker is a tool for managing a honeybee colony's defensive response. Its primary purpose is to calm the bees. The smoke also works by interfering with the bees' chemical communication system and triggering a natural survival instinct.
Pull It Out
Pulling frames can be tricky. Each frame must be inspected for eggs, larva, pollen and honey. Pulling the wrong frame could result in losing a portion of your baby bees.
The best success is pulling the frames covered only with capped honey.
Brush It Off
Each frame can house 3,000 to 4,500 bees per frame. Most of these are workers bees, which are sterile female bees. You might get a glimpse of the queen here every once in a while. Make sure you dust the bees off your frame before racing it to the next step!
Race It Off
It is a team effort.
The "puller" runs the frame to the "runner" who may or may not have to run from a straggler bee but eventually runs the frame to the "spinner" who uncaps the cells and prepares for spinning.
Uncap It Off
The bees have built the honeycomb with wax and have filled each cell with honey. They finish off the process by capping each finished cell with wax. Now it is our turn the uncap the wax using our hot knife and uncapping roller.
Spin It Out
Next, the frames are placed in the honey spinner and spun for 20 minutes to allow all the honey to come out of each cell. This is a great lesson on centrifugal force. The honey is drained into a double strainer to extract wax or sediment from the honey.
Bottle It Up
Now, we are at our favorite part. Bottle it, seal it and label it.
Meet Our Beekeepers
Here's a story of four children named...
Elijah
Malachi
Selah
Ellie
Who were raising honeybees on their own.
There were four of them....
Working all together....
All from the same home!
Featured Products
Raw, Local Honey
Extracted from our beehives, it’s fresh, local, and naturally sweet. Perfect for baked goods or on its own, it offers a wholesome touch. Enjoy authentic flavor from our sustainable, family-centered practices.
Honey Dipper
Honey eaten with a metal utensil takes out the nutrients. Add a honey dipper to your order.
Sourdough Bread
Order your sourdough bread by Wednesday each week for Friday or Saturday pickup.
The Heritage Hideaway
Each week we’ll share practical encouragement from our Heritage Branches: Homesteading, Homemaking, Handicraft, Health, Habits, Homeschooling, Heritage, and Heart.
This week's branch: Homeschooling
Living Experiences
We remember 10% of what we hear, 50% of what we see and 90% of what we experience. Schooling does not have to be in a classroom with four walls. We believe schooling is gained through living books, living ideas and living experiences.
Math: How many ounces are in that jar of honey? If we charge X amount per ounce, how much is that jar of honey? If we add 8.25% sales tax to your toolbox, how much does the customer pay?
Science: How does the bee make honey? What is the purpose of the bee in the ecosystem? What if there were no bees in the world?
Language Art: Write up your story about x for our newsletter. Add in as many adjectives and adverbs to make this story more appealing. What commas and ending marks do you need to add before we send it out?
History: What did the ancient Egyptians used to use honey for? What medicinal use did the Native Americans used to use honey for?
Public Speaking: Explain your product to your customers. Use your speech methods of persuasion to convince this man that he needs this honey. Look at him in the eyes. And make sure you give him a good handshake.
Shall we go on? Well, we could and we will....in our upcoming newsletters.
Homeschooling: Living Books, Living Ideas, Living Experiences
Our Prayer
Our prayer is that we continue to grow more and more in the knowledge of Him and the depths of His goodness as we grow in our skills.
Proverbs 24:13–14
My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, there will be a future, and your hope will not be cut off.
Until then, have a glorious week! Love, Matt, Shannon, Elijah, Malachi, Selah & Ellie Benton
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