Bees and many other flying insects are abounding at the farm. Some are friends and some are foes, but the bees are always on our side. We've made it our mission to continually plant a mix of annuals and perennials that will attract, feed and otherwise encourage the good bugs to call the farm home. Now that we're in our fourth season at BF2, we are beginning to see the impact of perennial flowers and herbs that are firmly established and producing loads of flowers in all shapes, sizes and colors. The bees LOVE this! Innumerable species visit these pollen sources daily.
Elderberry, yarrow, dandelion, chicory, echinacea, snapdragons, zinnia, marigold, basil, potato, sunflower...the list goes on, but you probably get the point. There are plenty of options for forage. The benefits are multiple. Our annual crops like melons and cucumbers are being pollinated. Beneficial insects like lady bugs are hanging our in spots where the aphids are occupying the growing space, which means that the pests are being managed by the beneficials. Honey bees (and native bees) alike are collecting golden pollen which is being converted to food for humans. How sweet is that?! The more flowers and flowering crops we plant, the greater the impact. And let's not forget about the aesthetic quality of all these flowers! They are gorgeous and they provide the crew and visitors food for the soul.
And speaking of food, we have lots of goodness coming down the pipe this week! Not the least of which is an exciting extra brought to you by the kitchen at Olden Organics. We had an abundance of garlic scapes, so Tracy at Olden suggested we hire them to make scape pesto for us out of our scapes and basil. I figured this would be something people would enjoy, so we are offering scape pesto as an extra this week and next. I just served myself up a bit on a cracker and the savory, slightly spicy flavor hit the spot. Check out this exciting option to add to your share this week!
Got feedback? We would love to hear from you if you have any comments, questions or inspiration. We value our members and would like to make sure everyone is having a positive experience. As always, thank you for your support and have a great week!
