2% of sales benefit honeybees | Visit spikenardfarm.org to learn more!
Spikenard Farms
2% of our Bee-Loved Honey Sales Benefits Spikenard Farms
Spikenard Farms promotes sustainable, biodynamic beekeeping through education, experience-based research, and a honeybee sanctuary. Founded on the prinicples of Rudolf Steiner and the Waldorf School, their mission is to propegate a hollistic approach to beekeeping and "bee-ing" with honeybees in order to restore the health and vitality of honeybees worldwide. Their 41-acre sanctuary is located in Floyd, Virginia – surrounded by pastures, forest, and an adjacent organic farm – and is home to over 30 honeybee hives.
Spikenard Farm Honeybee Sanctuary was founded in the certainty that there can be a better future for the honeybees. With Colony Collapse Disorder and a host of illnesses, mites, and beetles undermining the bees' health and endangering their survival, we have to think of them as patients in the emergency room – and we must start by asking the right questions. Instead of focusing on how much honey we can get from the bees, we must ask what can be done to protect, strengthen, and heal them.
The Importance of Pollinators
Planting Seeds for Pollinators
Honeybees are our best pollinators, appearing on the scene in late winter/early spring with 10,000 worker bees (per hive) flying out to aid in pollination. They are responsible for pollinating 40-70% of our diet – including some of the tastiest foods we eat like apples, peaches, strawberries, nuts, avocados, broccoli, and cucumbers – as well as medicinal plant including Echinacea, Angelica, Rosemary, & Sage.
When we plant, we should aim to replicate the native environment to some extent, if we want to maintain a balance of insects. From research, we know the tipping point in an environment (rural or suburban) of native species is about 70%. So having about 70% native plants in and around our homes, supports native insects and the predators of these insects, birds, bats and other small animals. When an environment dips below 70% native, the insect population will not be supported. Our insect populations evolved with our native plant species. When there are healthy amounts of insects, bird populations will thrive and our home gardens will thrive as well. To learn more about planting seeds for pollinators, viisit our blog or the link below!
