Preserving the wood used to enclose raised garden beds is a conundrum. Popular wood preservatives contain toxic heavy metals that leach into the soil of a vegetable garden, potentially contaminating the soil and any food growing there. But because garden boxes are exposed to the weather and remain perpetually damp, some kind of preservative is […]

These beeswax tarts replace chemical room fresheners, promoting healthier indoor air. These are useful in the kitchen to remove dank odors without toxic chemicals. Each beeswax tart is about 1-1/2 ounces. This project includes three homey scents: citrus, calm, and alert. Citrus Beeswax Tarts Recipe   Yield: 5 beeswax tarts Ingredients 1/2 cup beeswax 1/2 […]

Armed with these guiding principles, you’ll be able not only to plan your own space but also to impress friends with brief but impressively knowledgeable lectures on how to plant specifically for honeybees! QUANTITY, QUALITY, AND VARIETY Plentiful supplies of varied forage are essential to help honeybees withstand the impact of disease and harmful environmental […]

Every fall, boxes of crayons come home with the school supplies. Most crayons are made with paraffin wax and stearic acid. Soy crayons are made with hydrogenated genetically modified soybean oil. So while technically, crayons are “nontoxic,” they are not necessarily benign. You could make crayons by melting beeswax and adding a pigment. The resulting […]

Beard balm is a leave-in conditioner that softens, moisturizes, and helps style your beard. The beeswax in beard balm offers a light to medium hold, but its main job is to seal in moisture. A well-made beard balm will also condition the skin, leaving it soft and moisturized. Beard balm is a thicker, more moisturizing […]

We’ve been keeping bees for a little over seven years. Over that time, we’ve made an observation that may be purely coincidental, but it’s worth noting. And I’d love to hear what you all think in the comment section. We live in a residential farming community and our property is surrounded by thousands of acres […]

It may sound counter-intuitive, or even irresponsible, to suggest that new beekeepers should plunge full-stop and buy two hives right off the bat. But it is in that inexperience where keeping two hives proves the most beneficial. By all means, if you can only afford one hive, then one is better than none, definitely. But […]

I just recently phased out all of my plastic food storage containers. Now I store our leftovers in mason jars or in a simple glass bowl with some sort of plastic wrap or tin foil over the top. I feel better about not having our food in plastic, however, I do notice that with this […]

We’ve already experienced a 100 degree day here in Michigan. It’s been an unseasonably warm, sunny May, and we’ve been outside from sun up till sun down planting our lavender field for our U-Pick season. My 19-month-old daughter has inherited mine and my father’s pale Irish skin, which when exposed to the sun, rather than […]