400 Episodes of Beekeeping Today: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

WEBVTT

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My name is Becky Masterman and I'm in St.

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Paul, Minnesota.

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I'm Jeff Ott in Olympia, Washington.

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I'm Stephanie Slater in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

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Hi, I'm Dewey Caron from the Great Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon.

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I'm Jim Tew from Worcester, Ohio.

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Well, welcome to the Beekeeping Today podcast 400th episode.

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Now he said don't say podcast and then half of you said podcast.

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Welcome to Beekeeping Today Podcast presented by Betterbee, your source for beekeeping news, information, and entertainment.

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I'm Jeff Ott.

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And I'm Becky Masterman.

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Today's episode

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is brought to you by the bee nutrition superheroes at Global Patties.

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And give your bees the nutrition they deserve.

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Hey, a quick shout out to Betterbee and all of our sponsors whose support allows us to bring you this podcast each week without resorting to a fee-based subscription.

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We don't want that and we know you don't even.

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Be sure to check out all of our content on the website.

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There, you can read up on all of our guests, read our blog on the various aspects and observations about beekeeping, search for, download, and listen to over 300 past episodes, read episodes.

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You can find it all at www.

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beekeepingtoday.

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com.

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Wow, what an open

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to this special Beekeeping Today 400th episode if you didn't hear that in all of that today we have a very special episode.

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celebrating our four hundredth episodes.

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How many times can I say episode in a line?

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Someone help me out here.

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You're just showing off.

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So is this the four hundredth episode then?

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This is the four hundredth episode.

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Who would have thunk it?

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Huh?

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Who would have thunk it?

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400, that's quite a m that's quite a landmark, it really is

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I would have thought we'd all gotten better at doing it by four hundred times as time and again.

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We must be slow learners

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It's gonna come together, right?

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It all it'll all come together in the edits.

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So sitting around here, around the big Beekeeping Today podcast table, as we say, we have this great collection of guest.

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And co-hosts and special contributors to the podcast, Becky and me, of course.

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We have Stephanie Slater, we have Dr.

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Jim Tew.

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And Dr.

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Dewey Caron and thank you everybody for joining just to celebrate this landmark.

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This was fun.

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This is gonna be really fun.

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Jeff, it's already fun.

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It is already fun.

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It's early in the morning and there's no alcohol involved that anyone's admitting.

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Hey, you're taking this a different direction.

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I know.

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Jeff

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I'm trying to keep it light.

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You're trying to keep it light.

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I'm I'm gonna go I'm gonna go heavy for a second.

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And Jeff, this is the beginning of the four hundredth episode.

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You were there in the beginning.

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You and Kim Flottum, can you just bring us back to the beginning?

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Why did you do it?

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And are you terribly disappointed with where we are at right now or are you really proud of yourself?

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Oh, put me on the spot.

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So I'll do the easy part first.

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So I had written for Kim for many years and then I didn't for th

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five or six years or so.

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And Sherry and I were in Medina visiting family, my family, and then we stopped in AR route to say hi to Kim.

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And Kim was at his desk and if you remember his desk anybody it was always covered with books and just oh god it was horrible.

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I mean he was just had everything piled in his office.

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Anyways, he looked up, barely could see him, and he says, Well, Jeff, when are you gonna start writing for me?

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And I had been thinking about this because I missed writing and I missed contributing and being part of the bee world.

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And I just said to him, Well, have you ever thought about up doing a podcast?

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And he looked at me and he said, Well, what's a podcast?

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And I explained to it what it was and he said, Well, let's do it.

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And that was really the beginning of it.

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And we started the week of pollinator week and we lined it up and so we had five immediate episodes of Beekeeping Today podcast.

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They're still out there available.

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And you can go back and if you really want to make your ears bleed, you can go listen to those first five episodes.

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I was still learning how to edit then and I'm still learning, but I was very new at editing then, so it's just it's kinda fun to listen to sometimes

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That's how it got started.

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And as I look back at four hundred episodes now, I just enjoy doing this and I've always enjoyed being creative and sharing and the bees I love and putting them all together and to think we're here at four hundred and actually

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Quite honestly, if we look out at the catalog with all the specials that you all have contributed to and the extra episodes, we're well over like four hundred and fifty, four hundred and sixty actual

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listening segments or shows that out there in our podcast on our website.

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So yeah, to think back on that where we are today, it's pretty amazing.

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I'm I'm surprised.

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I'm happy when people

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say that they enjoy listening to us.

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It's still valuable to folks.

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And you have some very valuable contributors as well, contributors that have stayed with it.

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Not only the listeners, but the but those that are willing to support.

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We've been very fortunate, very lucky, and I'm very, very happy that people are wanting to share in such a significant way their knowledge and their time to be with us.

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That is a good thing because there's a bit of a learning curve.

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You know, they don't do this three times a week the way you do, and they're not accustomed to working live most of the time.

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So you've got to have a finesse to hold hands.

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You go to the bottom right hand button and you click on that red button at the bottom.

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Do you see that?

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Do you see that?

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You gotta hold people's hands like mine to get them through this.

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Now see that red button?

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Okay, don't click oh well don't click the start over.

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That's the one where you leave.

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Yeah.

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Jim, just how many how many Honey Bee Obscura episodes are there now?

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And are we invited to number four hundred?

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I'm just asking for No, yeah, you'll be invited to number four hundred.

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I'll be ninety-one by then and we'll be kind of a cranky thing

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Uh we're at we're just short of three hundred right now, Jeff.

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Jeff looked it up on September the 10th.

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It'll be 300.

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Excellent.

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296 of the day of this recording.

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I've always labeled myself as the junior varsity team here.

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because I do kind of just an easygoing, laid back conversational thing and beekeeping today does the highbrow meaningful stuff.

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But I have a good time.

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At my stage of life it's really been a guidepost just to give me something to do.

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besides sit around thinking how bleak things can be at times.

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They're not all that bleak.

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I'm having a good time.

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Thank you.

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And the thing, Jeff, is sedictive.

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You can do a terrible raw sight button and think, oh Jeff can clean this up and we grew to depend on it.

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Jeff and Becky, have there been some guests that have been really terrible to try to do, to try to get a hold of, to try to get arranged, and you know, I'm sure there are some others that have been

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Just easy, but are you know, true tales now.

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Are there some that you feel that um have made this more of a chore than than a pleasure?

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Yeah, Jack, call names, call names.

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I think we should just call people out

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I will tell you I will tell you this, Dewey.

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That is that's a really good question.

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And if we more often, Jeff was really afraid of what I'm about to say, but if we more often or not got done with the segment and said, Oh, that was tough

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I wouldn't still be here.

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I really wouldn't.

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Instead, time and time again we stop a recording and we go

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Wow, that was a great guest.

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And I know and we will say, I know the listeners are going to be really excited to hear what they have to say, or I know they're going to appreciate how this guest was so honest or

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That was fun and funny.

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Or it just or I love it when I keep learning.

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So I wouldn't be doing this.

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I wouldn't be stepping up if we didn't have story after story of the opposite of just like

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Fantastic guests and great information and challenging what we're thinking about bees and what we know about bees.

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So I feel like I'm it's a great spot to sit in.

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Jeff, do you want to go over the list of people you don't like though?

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I really have enjoyed all of our all of our guests over the years.

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Even the folks that may or may not have the wildest ideas, they have a perspective on beekeeping

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that they're not a sole person with that thought.

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There are others with that thought and that approach.

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And so I appreciate what they can share and like all beekeepers I listen to, you know

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to what they say and then I take what I can use and I know that it's all pretty much locational dependent and what works and um

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Minnesota may not work in Olympia.

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I think an another kind of good answer to that.

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Again, this is the positive answer.

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Nope.

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But it but

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Like we invited Stephanie Slater on to our program so many times that we were just like, you know, she's got so much to tell us and so much enthusiasm.

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Sorry, Stephanie, I'm talking about you like you're not there.

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But

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But it just became really clear she's got enough to talk to the listeners every month and they're gonna love hearing about honey shows and competitions.

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and how they can better become beekeeping and improve that part of their apiary practice.

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And so how exciting is it that Stephanie is here.

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And Stephanie, are you having fun being a part of Beekeeping today?

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I really am.

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And this was new to me.

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I had no experience with podcasts.

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I'm so glad that Jeff has so much practice editing that he makes me sound really good every month.

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So thank you, Jeff.

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But I'm I'm kind of just winging it and making it up as I go and

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So far, Jeff hasn't said that was a bad idea.

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Try something else.

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So I guess I'll keep trying.

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No, actually

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I'm really happy well so Stephanie since we're talking about you and you're right there.

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I'm really happy that you joined us because I've going back over the literature and not that I've done a deeper review or anything, but just my time reading magazines.

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and listening to other podcasts and stuff, no one ever talks about honey competition.

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But it is such a big part of many conferences and after our

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Uh this was our three years at North American Honey Bee Expo, and this is going to be our fourth, right, Becky?

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And how big honey shows are becoming in the United States, and it's been a big thing in the UK.

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the big honey national honey show there and everything.

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It's becoming so much bigger in the United States.

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I thought it was really good to give honey show competition side a beekeeping.

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some time of its own and I'm so happy that you did agree to join us and talk about how beekeepers can m better enter

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Contests and not only honey, but wax and quilting and all the different aspects of competition.

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That's fantastic.

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There's no other source for that.

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Do you judge Stephanie or I do, Jim.

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Thanks for asking.

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Yes, I'm a certified judge through the American Honey Judges Association.

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And so when I go to an event, sometimes I choose, do I want to compete at this event or do I want to judge at this event?

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And then I also coordinate the show at the Midwest Honey Bee Expo.

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So I kind of dabble in all of it and it's just a lot of fun.

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And then I can use all those different perspectives as I'm working with other beekeepers and of course putting together content for the podcast.

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Well, I admire you for that.

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I found that to be a very difficult job.

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You make two or three people happy and then you annoy everybody else.

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So when I used to judge for Dr.

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Caron when I was his student, I would do the judging and I'd get out of town.

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Don't hang around to make small talk.

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And I would always say, Oh, that must have been a student that did that.

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Well one of one of our priorities is making sure that we use this as a learning opportunity.

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So

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Our comment cards are going to tell you what you did well as well as some opportunities for improvement because never do we want to make somebody feel bad

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or you know, have an effect on their confidence, we want to get them to the point where they're even more confident next time.

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So we're happy to talk to the competitors when they have questions.

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I just have to repeat one of the one of the actual hints that you gave everybody was when you're buying your glass jars that you actually look through them and you pick out the ones that don't have imperfections.

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And I mentioned it to

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David Peck at Betterbee and he's like yeah we'll do that for people and I said you'll do what?

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And so Betterbee please don't hate me for repeating this

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But he actually said that they have they have like actually sorted some.

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So I we might be in trouble for me saying that.

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You might have to cut this out because on a scale I don't see how it works.

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But maybe if you buy a certain number

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Maybe they're they're really willing to pick out those perfect jars.

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But it but the fact that all jars are not the same was just astonishing to me and obviously made me not ready for competition because

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I'm not there yet.

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I'm looking Dewey's in the center of the of my screen right now and Dr.

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Caron, boy, do you bring

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science and respect to this podcast with your segments.

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Science and respect.

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I know.

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I

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They are so well prepared and there's they're they're an updated deep dive into different subjects.

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You might talk for 20 or 25 minutes, but you're putting in so much time to prepare these lessons and you're making them so easy to understand.

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I'm just gonna say thank you and I hope I hope that the listeners recognize how just how much you're putting into it because it's so clear.

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Oh, you were so kind, Becky.

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Um I can't do as well the off the cuff as you can to pick up on something what maybe one of your your guests is talking about, which you can do so easily

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the two of you integrate so well.

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So I do.

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I have to I have to be prepared.

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Uh Jim on the other hand, you know, he's very well prepared by a lifetime of doing this.

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But he can talk, you know, and follow a thread.

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If I tried to do this just off the cuff, I think I wouldn't have that thread.

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So you know, I do take pride in being able to try to take a topic and cover it on through.

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Uh

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The issue is that maybe I'm I talk it too long, talk it to death, but boy, I enjoy doing it.

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No, it is it is such a it's a great

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great library of resources for and to have somebody who understands each subject to do it a deep dive and to summarize it for the listener because a lot of our listeners are out there in their bees

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listening to you talk about their bees and the science behind their bees.

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And so I think it's just a great compliment.

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And talk about following a thread, Jeff.

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You get

00:15:30.620 --> 00:15:33.180
You I don't follow the thread, do we?

00:15:33.180 --> 00:15:37.740
I just ask what's on the which comes to mind, which sometimes works out.

00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:39.100
But Jeff brings us back.

00:15:39.100 --> 00:15:40.540
He's steering the ship.

00:15:40.540 --> 00:15:43.980
And so the listeners get to thank Jeff for

00:15:44.140 --> 00:15:46.380
making sure that we're we're on course.

00:15:46.540 --> 00:15:47.100
Or blame.

00:15:47.260 --> 00:15:49.180
Well he's got that red button, remember that?

00:15:49.180 --> 00:15:51.260
He's got that red button there.

00:15:51.260 --> 00:15:58.860
Well speaking of ruddering the ship, let's take this quick opportunity for a quick break to hear from our very wonderful sponsors.

00:15:58.580 --> 00:16:00.740
And we'll be right back.

00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:12.260
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00:16:12.260 --> 00:16:13.060
Many of our staff are

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Beekeepers themselves, and sharing education to help beekeepers succeed.

00:16:19.740 --> 00:16:26.460
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00:16:26.460 --> 00:16:28.300
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00:16:45.660 --> 00:16:46.620
Betterbee.

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Your partners in Better Beekeeping.

00:16:49.420 --> 00:16:50.860
Welcome back everybody.

00:16:50.860 --> 00:16:52.300
I'm sitting here with

00:16:52.820 --> 00:16:55.940
a great cohort of individuals and beekeepers.

00:16:56.100 --> 00:17:00.580
I've had a real great pleasure of joining us here on our 400th episode.

00:17:00.580 --> 00:17:03.140
We are here with Stephanie Slater, Dr.

00:17:03.140 --> 00:17:04.100
Jim Tood, Dr.

00:17:04.100 --> 00:17:06.180
Dewey Caron, Becky and me.

00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:15.299
We have, as a regular part of our podcast for the last uh, I think nine months or so, a hive IQ.

00:17:15.339 --> 00:17:16.699
listener question.

00:17:16.699 --> 00:17:18.059
Let's get to that now.

00:17:18.059 --> 00:17:20.059
Becky, who do we have today?

00:17:20.059 --> 00:17:20.860
This is exciting.

00:17:20.860 --> 00:17:29.100
I'm kind of wondering if I'm gonna read the question first and then I think we should decide if this is an anonymous question or if we actually read their name

00:17:28.800 --> 00:17:31.680
I gave a nucleus colony to some friends this spring.

00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:37.440
They've taken great care of it and it grew quickly and it produced over ten gallons of honey.

00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:41.200
They are so excited and planning on expanding next year.

00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.040
So basically this could be

00:17:43.419 --> 00:17:44.700
Anybody, right?

00:17:44.700 --> 00:17:47.900
This is this happens a lot, the first year of beekeeping.

00:17:47.900 --> 00:17:52.380
The question is, they have plans to build a honey house and get big.

00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:55.760
While I'm excited for them, I'm nervous that they may be overdoing it.

00:17:55.760 --> 00:17:59.840
It took me several years before my losses were manageable.

00:17:59.840 --> 00:18:03.680
What are your recommendations for growth to new beekeepers?

00:18:03.620 --> 00:18:05.060
That's a tough question.

00:18:05.060 --> 00:18:06.340
That is a tough question.

00:18:06.340 --> 00:18:08.260
Why do I think that's an easy question, everybody?

00:18:08.260 --> 00:18:09.460
Oh, I need to know more.

00:18:10.180 --> 00:18:12.820
How old is how old is the new beekeeper?

00:18:12.820 --> 00:18:14.980
What's her lifestyle?

00:18:14.660 --> 00:18:16.260
What's their physical strength?

00:18:16.260 --> 00:18:18.180
What's their location on land?

00:18:18.180 --> 00:18:19.140
Bank balance?

00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:21.060
Yeah, what's their financial risk?

00:18:21.540 --> 00:18:22.500
Tolerance

00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:28.419
So I need to know more about this ghostly beekeeper.

00:18:28.419 --> 00:18:37.700
Did he or she have a lot of potential and could do it or are they just in euphoric situations and just think this is easy to do and

00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:39.360
I'm gonna do it for the rest of my life.

00:18:39.360 --> 00:18:39.919
I don't know.

00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:45.280
I think that's a lovely answer to the question is that it's such a complex

00:18:46.160 --> 00:18:49.520
pursuit that everything needs to align.

00:18:57.860 --> 00:19:01.860
And the bees would fit right in and they've already got several outbuildings.

00:19:01.860 --> 00:19:04.500
Or are they just going crazy?

00:19:04.500 --> 00:19:08.500
They're in a subdivision and they're going to build a honey house in the backyard.

00:19:08.500 --> 00:19:09.620
That's not going to work.

00:19:09.620 --> 00:19:11.059
That's not going to work

00:19:10.779 --> 00:19:13.260
So I didn't really have an answer there, Becky.

00:19:13.260 --> 00:19:19.899
I growth it I remember that honeymoon session so well all those years ago where

00:19:20.320 --> 00:19:24.880
Everything I did, everything I talked about, I drove people crazy.

00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:27.200
With this bee thing, I couldn't sleep.

00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:29.440
I was excited about everything.

00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:34.040
And you know you mellow, you stay in it for the long run, but you become more mature about it.

00:19:34.040 --> 00:19:36.200
And then you can see other people.

00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:38.440
I want to know how big that nuc was.

00:19:38.440 --> 00:19:41.480
That was that was a lot of productivity.

00:19:41.160 --> 00:19:44.920
Was it a was it a two deep nuc, twenty frames or what?

00:19:45.720 --> 00:19:49.400
That's a lot of honey from a from a build up from a nucleus colony.

00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:51.720
So I don't know if it was just a great year or

00:19:52.060 --> 00:19:53.180
It really is a good beat.

00:19:54.780 --> 00:19:58.300
I would have to say it depends on the person and the person's situation.

00:19:58.300 --> 00:20:02.140
I would add that yeah, there are there are a number of variables here and you know

00:20:02.440 --> 00:20:07.399
beginners look I mean that's a fantastic production from nucs but it does happen.

00:20:07.399 --> 00:20:13.159
A new area, new management, new managers for example, and of course good stock.

00:20:13.740 --> 00:20:15.260
applaud the person that sold that nuc.

00:20:15.740 --> 00:20:17.180
They know what they're doing.

00:20:17.180 --> 00:20:20.540
They apparently set them up very, very well.

00:20:20.540 --> 00:20:24.140
Like anything, you know, be c there is this learning curve.

00:20:24.300 --> 00:20:28.380
We talk about the steep learning curve of bees and beekeeping.

00:20:28.019 --> 00:20:35.380
I've I try to teach the biology and you can't get all that biology in one year.

00:20:35.380 --> 00:20:35.620
We

00:20:35.760 --> 00:20:46.640
You can read books and you can watch the YouTubes and listen to the podcasts, which are all very, very helpful and very useful, but it's the bees, the bees that are giving you your final exam.

00:20:46.540 --> 00:20:51.820
And in just one season, you know, an end of one, anything can happen.

00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:56.060
In this case everything apparently lined up just right, but

00:20:56.440 --> 00:21:08.440
You know, it's a it is an investment and to to go from one to X is going to be, you know, a great, a rather great investment.

00:21:08.240 --> 00:21:19.600
I would recommend that they're ask they're obviously having fun and they're enjoying the rewards, that they seek to try to to expand gradually, trying two, three ye bee

00:21:20.720 --> 00:21:29.760
I would say if you're producing that much honey, one of your one of your hurdles is going to be what to do with it, to try to turn it back into bees.

00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:34.600
Yeah, you they may be all ready for a honey show, Stephanie.

00:21:34.600 --> 00:21:35.240
I'm not sure.

00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:36.600
You look after one season.

00:21:36.600 --> 00:21:39.399
Beginners love we have them in honey shows.

00:21:39.399 --> 00:21:41.159
Someone has never before

00:21:41.179 --> 00:21:44.620
put in the Honey show wins the big prize.

00:21:44.620 --> 00:21:47.020
So and that won't anything can happen.

00:21:47.020 --> 00:21:49.900
I you know, all of us I think would probably say

00:21:50.140 --> 00:21:52.540
Well, slow down just a bit.

00:21:52.860 --> 00:22:00.060
You know, get a few more stains and get a little more experience before you want to go from one to two hundred and fifty.

00:22:00.140 --> 00:22:06.620
Yeah, I think about that new bee that new beekeeper excitement, it's tough to harness, right?

00:22:06.620 --> 00:22:11.340
So how do we how do we help guide them in an appropriate way?

00:22:11.340 --> 00:22:14.140
If they're in a position where they really can't afford

00:22:14.320 --> 00:22:23.440
to move a little more quickly than we would typically recommend, then work with them, be that resource, help them set up the honey house properly.

00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:25.040
You know, continue to guide them.

00:22:25.040 --> 00:22:28.160
And then I've learned that it's great to have friends with

00:22:28.340 --> 00:22:36.980
more equipment and nicer equipment and honey houses that I don't have because then you know you can you can share that burden, right?

00:22:36.760 --> 00:22:40.760
I can uncap all day long if we work together to extract.

00:22:40.760 --> 00:22:45.080
So there is an opportunity there, but yes, you know, start with

00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:47.080
Are you sure you want to go this fast?

00:22:47.080 --> 00:22:50.040
Do you realize what some of those pitfalls might be?

00:22:50.040 --> 00:22:54.840
And if you can't slow them down, then just try to guide them the best that you can.

00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:56.340
It is an investment too.

00:22:56.340 --> 00:23:02.340
I mean the equipment that they're going to buy is not going to lose its total value.

00:23:02.340 --> 00:23:05.700
So I mean if it does go bust in two or three years

00:23:05.940 --> 00:23:12.179
you know, they would have something to recoup, but you know, certainly not a dollar on a dollar.

00:23:12.179 --> 00:23:13.539
It's going to be less than that.

00:23:13.539 --> 00:23:17.139
But it I mean, there is value in the bees

00:23:17.540 --> 00:23:21.780
the equipment and of course in the equipment that they might buy to equip a honey house.

00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:25.700
I would like to add that just yesterday, following along with what Dr.

00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:26.740
Karen said

00:23:26.940 --> 00:23:34.620
I was at a little farmer's market, a Wednesday afternoon farmers market, and there was a person there from Akron, Ohio selling honey

00:23:34.919 --> 00:23:36.679
I stayed incognito.

00:23:36.679 --> 00:23:39.320
I didn't know him and I didn't feel like talking about it.

00:23:39.400 --> 00:23:41.000
It might have been your beard.

00:23:41.320 --> 00:23:41.799
Right.

00:23:41.799 --> 00:23:42.679
He didn't know me.

00:23:42.679 --> 00:23:46.039
But I bought a jar of his honey and it was twelve dollars.

00:23:45.940 --> 00:23:50.980
And this past weekend I saw honey a pound of honey for $15.

00:23:50.980 --> 00:23:51.380
Dr.

00:23:51.380 --> 00:23:55.059
Karen, I remember when it was a buck and a quarter, and we were happy to get it

00:23:54.940 --> 00:24:08.059
So with these kind of prices for honey, I don't really know if my advice is dated because the value of those 11 gallons that person produced is significantly higher

00:24:08.140 --> 00:24:13.020
than anything I was familiar with at that stage of my beekeeping journey.

00:24:13.020 --> 00:24:18.300
So the cost of honey now, if you can get it, I mean there was not a line in front of the guy's booth

00:24:18.519 --> 00:24:20.600
But that's what he was asking for it.

00:24:21.960 --> 00:24:25.080
But Jim, I'm gonna remind you of the cost of bees.

00:24:25.080 --> 00:24:29.559
And one of the pieces of advice Megan Milbrath gave us when we did an expanding

00:24:29.960 --> 00:24:38.920
your operation series, she said, and I love this, grow, but grow as much as you can divide your own bees.

00:24:38.840 --> 00:24:44.919
don't grow by buying an operation necessarily or don't grow by buying lots of packages and nucs.

00:24:44.919 --> 00:24:50.280
Like if you decide you're going to scale it, if you scale it within your own operation

00:24:50.960 --> 00:24:54.400
then you're probably gonna scale your skills at the same time.

00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:59.360
The price of honey compared to also like what we're looking at for the price of a nuc or a package

00:24:59.720 --> 00:25:10.200
Which is, you know, definitely worth it, but at the same time losing that package or nuc if they don't make it through the winter is, you know, that has its costs.

00:25:09.960 --> 00:25:15.560
I actually I like that answer because it's a natural limiter, a governor on someone's growth.

00:25:15.560 --> 00:25:24.760
If you keep it all within your own bees, that growth, then if you're really successful and you're managing those bees, then you can grow with them.

00:25:24.460 --> 00:25:34.220
I will warn you though, if you if you are growing and you're suc doing it successfully, boy do you have to buy a lot of new equipment when you go to the next year and

00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:35.840
and do your divides.

00:25:35.840 --> 00:25:42.880
And so you do get to the point where you are investing a lot in your in your operation because those bees need to go someplace.

00:25:42.880 --> 00:25:46.160
And if you if you do it gradually over a few years

00:25:46.340 --> 00:25:48.260
your numbers will just get there.

00:25:48.260 --> 00:25:56.580
And we've talked to a number of beekeepers who've really made huge leaps in their operations just by being able to manage their bees through the winter.

00:25:56.519 --> 00:26:01.639
and successfully and then and then do their divides each spring.

00:26:01.639 --> 00:26:02.600
So Dr.

00:26:02.600 --> 00:26:06.120
Masterman, how do we leave this on a positive note?

00:26:06.040 --> 00:26:10.120
Because we made it sound like beekeeping is almost prohibitively expensive.

00:26:10.120 --> 00:26:14.360
That's a good question, but I will tell you Jeff is going to answer this for us.

00:26:14.360 --> 00:26:15.720
Because Jeff

00:26:15.940 --> 00:26:25.700
I know you have this answer because I've heard you talk about it before and I think you've had a really responsible approach to the beekeeping as part of your life.

00:26:25.440 --> 00:26:28.000
And you've looked at the economics of it.

00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:29.919
So Jeff, take it home.

00:26:32.240 --> 00:26:34.000
That was really smooth, Becky.

00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:34.960
That was smooth.

00:26:35.760 --> 00:26:39.600
Well, the first thing you do is you look at the balance on your credit card.

00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:43.520
Oh no.

00:26:43.520 --> 00:26:50.559
I still think that you have to grow organically and take it in small steps and ultimately you'll get there.

00:26:50.140 --> 00:26:59.660
My approach has always been when I started beekeeping in Ohio and I s got serious about it, I wanted it to be the first hobby to actually pay for itself.

00:26:59.660 --> 00:27:02.220
And so I kept meticulous records.

00:27:02.280 --> 00:27:07.320
And I wanted to prove to everyone that I could make it pay for itself.

00:27:07.320 --> 00:27:08.200
And so I did.

00:27:08.200 --> 00:27:10.120
And I was very happy that

00:27:10.360 --> 00:27:18.840
By the time I don't know how many seasons it took, but I was able to show on paper that the bees were paying for themselves each year.

00:27:19.040 --> 00:27:28.320
and that I was selling enough honey through the different farm markets and farmer stands there in Ohio and for pollination fees for the pumpkin fields and apples.

00:27:28.260 --> 00:27:34.179
that the bees were really paying for themselves and that was really that was a proud moment and I really enjoyed that a lot.

00:27:34.179 --> 00:27:40.900
I'm feeling put upon here because I'm at a stage of life where I want bees but I don't want to have to work real hard

00:27:40.500 --> 00:27:42.340
So where does that leave me?

00:27:42.340 --> 00:27:44.580
I'm not going to be going to honey shows.

00:27:44.580 --> 00:27:50.580
I'm going to always have bees in the backyard, and they're going to always need a beekeeper, but I want them back there.

00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.480
But I'm through all the stages.

00:27:52.480 --> 00:28:05.360
So what do you do with people who just want bees because they want to see bees on the flowers in their yard and they want to give some pollination activity back to nature, but they're not really all sweaty about producing honey.

00:28:04.900 --> 00:28:07.860
How do those people decide how much money to invest?

00:28:07.860 --> 00:28:16.900
Is that how much you're going to spend on birdseed and how big the garden is you're going to have and how much you can contribute to the two beehives you've got?

00:28:16.460 --> 00:28:20.620
But there are other kinds of beekeepers other than the income generators.

00:28:20.620 --> 00:28:28.380
One answer is if you want to have bees on your property and you want to have the enjoyment of having bees on your property and going back and listening to 'em and watch 'em

00:28:28.820 --> 00:28:35.940
is to find a beekeeper who wants a new bee yard and tell them they can have this space for their bees and then you have

00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:43.080
the pleasure of having bees on your property without the cost and the time commitment to maintain them.

00:28:43.080 --> 00:28:45.720
Is there any insurance obligation there?

00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:48.080
With you have somebody else having bees on your property?

00:28:48.159 --> 00:28:48.960
Always, right?

00:28:48.960 --> 00:28:53.039
I think I mean have you talked to your own insurance company about bees on your property?

00:28:53.039 --> 00:28:57.519
Because I know that it's in my policy that I can't have bees on my property.

00:28:57.419 --> 00:28:59.660
So be careful what you ask, Jim.

00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:06.620
I think we ought to contract this person that got what you know eleven gallons in the first year on a nuc.

00:29:07.040 --> 00:29:14.240
You know, ask them to put them in my backyard because like Jim, the boxes have gotten heavy somehow.

00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:16.000
And even though I've I've I've

00:29:16.460 --> 00:29:24.860
staged from ten frame to eight frame from full size boxes, you know, standards to shallows, they're still

00:29:25.240 --> 00:29:26.280
Damn heavy.

00:29:26.280 --> 00:29:27.720
I've got the kids involved.

00:29:27.720 --> 00:29:33.240
I got the two of the three kids involved that you know, do more than lifting to actually be beekeepers, but

00:29:33.600 --> 00:29:41.519
Maybe that's that's um that's because you know the I've had bees for, you know, some I don't know, sixty-five years now.

00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:41.840
Maybe

00:29:42.160 --> 00:29:46.320
Maybe I just didn't remember how heavy they were when I first started.

00:29:47.360 --> 00:29:50.720
And I've never had a problem with giving honey away.

00:29:50.540 --> 00:29:54.860
Well, this has been a long answer to Michael's question.

00:29:54.860 --> 00:30:02.300
Michael, you will receive a bright, shiny, brand new hive IQ tool in the mail.

00:30:02.060 --> 00:30:04.220
I will have to get your address.

00:30:04.220 --> 00:30:05.980
And I hope you enjoy it.

00:30:05.980 --> 00:30:07.420
Thank you for your question.

00:30:07.420 --> 00:30:12.700
Let's take this last break and hear from our sponsors, and we'll be right back.

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00:31:45.660 --> 00:31:47.660
Welcome back everybody.

00:31:47.660 --> 00:31:55.740
Well this has been such a fun conversation because there's a lot of knowledge in this podcast episode

00:31:55.940 --> 00:32:05.860
I'm wondering we want to go positive and Jeff hasn't told me what I have to say, so I just I just I just would like when somebody

00:32:06.040 --> 00:32:13.000
is a beekeeper or wants to start beekeeping and they ask you for advice, what's the best piece of advice you can give them?

00:32:13.000 --> 00:32:14.200
I'll start.

00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:17.400
I always ask, are you a member of a club?

00:32:17.340 --> 00:32:21.340
Let's look at the list of local clubs in the area.

00:32:21.340 --> 00:32:31.260
And then from there we talk about getting, you know, Bee Culture and ABJ, and then we talk about the state organizations and the national organizations, and then we talk about

00:32:31.340 --> 00:32:43.660
all of the big conferences and all that stuff to try to help them see they have to continue to keep educating themselves and not to just jump in without learning a little bit and immersing themselves in

00:32:43.760 --> 00:32:45.919
with some other like minded beekeepers.

00:32:45.919 --> 00:32:46.880
That's a good one.

00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:47.440
Yeah.

00:32:47.440 --> 00:32:52.400
I like everything Stephanie said, so I'm going to say that's my comments too.

00:32:52.400 --> 00:32:56.720
No, I'd actually like to ask that new person, how have you been stung before

00:32:56.460 --> 00:33:04.140
How many times have you been stung because under the right conditions they can light you up and that can frequently drive people away.

00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:08.700
I know most of the time the beekeepers, the new beekeepers, are covered from head to toe

00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:13.200
But in South Alabama you're gonna die from heat exhaustion if you do that indefinitely.

00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:23.360
So just be sure they have good health and k know what they're getting involved in and no bad backs and then just like Stephanie said, you've gotta find somebody to help you.

00:33:22.500 --> 00:33:33.860
You can read about bees and watch listen to podcasts and watch videos all you want, but one day you gotta be out in that suit with the smoker going and actually have live bees around you, and that's the day of reckoning

00:33:33.760 --> 00:33:46.000
And I and I like to now Stephanie handling the product, the final product, and your expertise and judging and training other judges, I think that has been one of the great the developments that we've had.

00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:47.440
Honey shows is kinda

00:33:47.860 --> 00:33:54.180
were very popular, you know, fifty, sixty years ago, big state fairs.

00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:58.260
And then they kind of went in a hiatus, but I think they're coming back.

00:33:58.260 --> 00:34:01.460
Uh what's your what's how what's your take on the

00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:05.900
honey shows and how much that is of value to those newbie keepers.

00:34:05.900 --> 00:34:08.060
Well, you hit the nail on the head, Dewey.

00:34:08.060 --> 00:34:12.620
The whole the whole purpose of a honey show is to help you become a better producer.

00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:21.000
you know, how to handle the product properly and so forth and make sure that it's prepared and handled in a way that the consumer

00:34:21.340 --> 00:34:29.660
can expect this high quality and the consumer then can see at their county and state fairs what a high quality hive product should look like

00:34:29.659 --> 00:34:31.260
So they can tell the difference.

00:34:31.260 --> 00:34:33.820
And so that's our whole goal.

00:34:33.820 --> 00:34:39.179
Become better beekeepers, better producers, and yes, there is there is a resurgence.

00:34:39.179 --> 00:34:42.620
We're getting more honey shows and then we're getting bigger honey shows.

00:34:42.620 --> 00:34:44.460
So it's really an exciting time.

00:34:44.940 --> 00:34:53.420
Stephanie, you were very nice and joined us, and you're at a bee event right now, and actually I see an observation hive sitting behind you in the car.

00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:54.720
What are you doing?

00:34:54.720 --> 00:34:56.800
I am at a corporate event today.

00:34:56.800 --> 00:35:01.520
You know, large employers will contact me and say, I want to do some sort of employee event

00:35:01.500 --> 00:35:11.660
And so I'll bring an observation hive in, I'll maybe bring some honey sticks or even some little bears of honey and just set up my table in their cafeteria or in their break room.

00:35:11.359 --> 00:35:16.400
And the employees just get to come hang out, talk with me, look at the bees, get some honey.

00:35:16.400 --> 00:35:17.119
It's fun for me.

00:35:17.119 --> 00:35:19.520
It's better than being in my office, don't tell my boss.

00:35:19.520 --> 00:35:22.320
And it's great awareness for people around.

00:35:22.320 --> 00:35:24.000
Yeah, I love it.

00:35:23.900 --> 00:35:24.940
That's fantastic.

00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:29.340
I'm gonna say goodbye now because I know you need to get in and fulfill your commitment.

00:35:29.340 --> 00:35:33.420
Thank you for joining us and helping us celebrate the 400th episode.

00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:38.240
And look forward to your next episode of Winning at Honey with Stephanie.

00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:40.240
Stephanie, before you go, I enjoyed meeting you.

00:35:40.240 --> 00:35:46.560
I haven't met you before, and I'd like to think that I can call you Stephanie and we'll get along just fine.

00:35:46.340 --> 00:35:49.300
I know you've heard a lot of crap about me, but don't believe that.

00:35:49.300 --> 00:35:50.820
I'm actually a good guy.

00:35:50.820 --> 00:35:52.260
I just got old and I helped it.

00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:53.940
Now some of it's true, Stephanie.

00:35:54.260 --> 00:35:55.540
Don't listen to him.

00:35:55.540 --> 00:36:00.580
I was terrified when Jeff was putting out his list of bad names that I was gonna be on it, but

00:36:00.760 --> 00:36:02.040
He didn't call me.

00:36:02.040 --> 00:36:02.520
All right.

00:36:02.520 --> 00:36:03.720
321, Jeff.

00:36:03.720 --> 00:36:05.080
Stephanie's gotta go.

00:36:05.080 --> 00:36:05.960
Thank you, Jim.

00:36:05.960 --> 00:36:08.920
It's it's really been an honor to be on the podcast with all of you.

00:36:08.920 --> 00:36:09.560
Thank you.

00:36:09.560 --> 00:36:10.600
Bye, Stephanie.

00:36:10.600 --> 00:36:11.160
Bye-bye.

00:36:11.160 --> 00:36:11.560
Bye-bye.

00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:13.000
Bye-bye.

00:36:13.000 --> 00:36:13.560
Bye

00:36:14.220 --> 00:36:17.180
For all the rest of you, don't push that red button, we're still here.

00:36:17.180 --> 00:36:17.900
Right, we're still here.

00:36:20.299 --> 00:36:23.020
I would like to add to everybody's advice

00:36:23.560 --> 00:36:30.440
that knowing your nectar flows, the timing and what they are will make you a better beekeeper.

00:36:30.440 --> 00:36:33.480
You'll be able to prepare your populations so that

00:36:33.740 --> 00:36:38.700
They are peak foraging age when those nectar flows come on.

00:36:38.700 --> 00:36:45.340
And you'll also be a better beekeeper when you go to sell your honey if you're able to talk about what's in that jar.

00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:48.320
So I think that's that's key.

00:36:48.320 --> 00:36:54.000
And also understanding what your bees need and, you know, do they need that early spring?

00:36:54.020 --> 00:37:02.579
And do you should you know, wait to start making honey until they fill up the brood nest and not too much so they swarm.

00:37:02.460 --> 00:37:09.260
and then when to give it back to them at the end of the season, when to let them collect for their winter stores.

00:37:09.260 --> 00:37:13.900
So it's it's there's a lot to it and it's I think it's one of the hardest things about beekeeping.

00:37:13.900 --> 00:37:16.140
Maybe Varroa is number one, but

00:37:16.140 --> 00:37:21.740
I think right behind it is understanding that nectar flow the nectar flow dynamics.

00:37:22.460 --> 00:37:27.339
That's another reason and that previous question we just discussed for two and a half hours.

00:37:27.240 --> 00:37:31.320
You only get that nectar f experience by season after season.

00:37:31.640 --> 00:37:37.560
You can look at a calendar and you can talk to other beekeepers, but every year of the season its own time, but it fluctuates

00:37:37.559 --> 00:37:47.480
So to read your own season and to know when there's whiting going on or frosting on the colony frames or whatever you want to call it, that it's time to really super up and get ready.

00:37:47.160 --> 00:37:49.640
You learn you learn to read that, you sense it.

00:37:49.640 --> 00:38:00.440
And I think I want to tell like if there are any newer beekeepers, the reason why we were also impressed with the eleven gallons is one, it's just a good take, but that take usually you would see

00:38:00.820 --> 00:38:06.980
in a more um a wintered colony that has a bigger population during that nectar flow.

00:38:06.980 --> 00:38:08.660
So to have it

00:38:08.440 --> 00:38:17.160
the first year a colony has started to have such production when they don't go to divide next year and they have a strong colony to hit that nectar flow

00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:22.800
they should expect more honey if everything aligns and the colony's healthy and populous.

00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:30.160
So I think we all kind of did the math of first year colony, wow, second year colony, oh my gosh, that could be epic

00:38:30.299 --> 00:38:41.980
I do want to add to both yours and Jim's observation about well Jim's earlier observation about the price of honey and your talking about the nectar flows is one of the things I learned long ago was

00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:45.240
We as beekeepers have to be able to market our honey.

00:38:45.240 --> 00:38:51.160
If we want a high price for our honey, we have to be able to describe our honey and sell it.

00:38:51.160 --> 00:38:53.800
And we've had guests on the show selling the little

00:38:54.240 --> 00:39:04.320
eight ounce jars for forty dollars or something just because they're able to sell a story along with the honey and say it's better than what you find on the grocery store.

00:39:04.320 --> 00:39:06.000
The understanding that nectar flows

00:39:06.599 --> 00:39:12.520
will help you drive a higher price for your honey and sell it at a greater price at the farm market.

00:39:12.520 --> 00:39:18.119
So you can get fifteen or twenty dollars for a pound of honey, which at that point then

00:39:18.559 --> 00:39:21.279
That does help your business pay for itself.

00:39:21.279 --> 00:39:23.520
We can talk about Stephanie now that she's gone.

00:39:23.520 --> 00:39:27.200
But one of the things that makes her such a success is that

00:39:27.520 --> 00:39:34.960
She wins show after show and she saw she had great success early on and it's what makes her such a great

00:39:35.140 --> 00:39:42.900
judge and continuing participant, but she's had great success, but when she goes to sell her honey, she can say, This is award winning honey

00:39:43.220 --> 00:39:50.339
So it's that adding that value, it's one of the ways to do it is get in those shows and get that blue ribbon.

00:39:50.339 --> 00:39:51.140
Get a ribbon.

00:39:51.140 --> 00:39:51.779
Any ribbon.

00:39:51.779 --> 00:39:52.420
Get a ribbon.

00:39:52.420 --> 00:39:53.140
Get a ribbon.

00:39:53.140 --> 00:39:57.859
One thing I'd like I'd like to add just from my experience with selling honey at Ohio State.

00:39:57.920 --> 00:40:11.840
You spend a lot of time loading and unloading and setting up tables and putting out banners and setting up displays and then standing there waiting for the crowd and then talking about swarming and don't you ever get stung and then finally

00:40:11.680 --> 00:40:13.200
You sell a jar.

00:40:14.480 --> 00:40:15.520
Sometimes.

00:40:15.520 --> 00:40:16.320
It's a commitment.

00:40:17.520 --> 00:40:22.720
When Jeff says sell your own honey, I suspect he's thinking bulk sell to a grocery store.

00:40:22.720 --> 00:40:26.400
But if you like that guy yesterday, it's like he's just fishing.

00:40:26.140 --> 00:40:31.579
On Wednesday afternoon I'm going to say, didn't you have something better to do besides stand here and sell six jars of honey?

00:40:31.579 --> 00:40:33.819
But he seemed to be enjoying it

00:40:33.940 --> 00:40:41.619
But there's a lot of time that's committed when you sell your honey piecemeal instead of being able to sell it in bulk

00:40:41.920 --> 00:40:43.200
It takes time.

00:40:43.200 --> 00:40:48.240
And I one of the issues is a new beekeeper, the good markets are already taken.

00:40:48.240 --> 00:40:51.920
There's already a couple of honey salespersons there.

00:40:51.920 --> 00:40:54.880
And so you go into one of those markets that

00:40:55.400 --> 00:41:02.360
You know, where the there isn't the traffic and you sell one jar instead of six jars or sixteen jars.

00:41:02.360 --> 00:41:06.760
It's it's a it's a tough it's a tough road, it really is.

00:41:06.980 --> 00:41:19.780
But that's, you know, I mean, versus selling from you know, people that can sell from their work or have a greater association with the local um local market that they can sell it from a local market

00:41:19.859 --> 00:41:27.300
It if it takes work to get that market that is going to be the market that's worth your time to be there

00:41:27.460 --> 00:41:34.260
We say that, you know, you're giving them a hundred dollars worth of advice talking about swarming and how you start with bees, etc.

00:41:34.340 --> 00:41:34.820
, etc.

00:41:35.300 --> 00:41:39.540
, to sell your ten dollar jar of honey or twenty dollar jar of honey.

00:41:39.660 --> 00:41:48.700
I started with going around well in Ohio, of course, in the Midwest, the sweet corn stands in the fall or in the late summer are plentiful.

00:41:48.859 --> 00:41:49.900
They're all over the place.

00:41:49.900 --> 00:41:57.020
And I went around to those sweet corn markets, farmers stands, offered them a case of honey

00:41:57.420 --> 00:42:01.420
And on their goodwill, my goodwill, gave them a to sell it.

00:42:01.420 --> 00:42:05.980
And I said, if you sell it's X amount of dollars a jar.

00:42:05.980 --> 00:42:08.780
And I'll take back anything that you don't sell.

00:42:08.720 --> 00:42:12.960
And most of the time they were calling me asking me for more honey.

00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:15.839
And so I was I was taking the honey to those markets.

00:42:15.839 --> 00:42:18.079
They stood there behind the counters.

00:42:18.240 --> 00:42:19.680
I found that very effective.

00:42:19.680 --> 00:42:28.000
Even to today, where I saw my it's an established market and it's right there next to somebody else's honey package from who knows where.

00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:38.720
But my honey is local Olympia Honey Company honey right there, right next to somebody else's honey, and it's it sells because it's local and people want local honey.

00:42:38.460 --> 00:42:39.340
And that's what you saw.

00:42:40.380 --> 00:42:42.780
Did you two just hear Jeff Plug his own Honey?

00:42:42.940 --> 00:42:43.500
Yeah, Olympia Honey Company

00:42:47.160 --> 00:42:52.280
Give us your internet w sales Jeff, do you want to just give us your website?

00:42:53.720 --> 00:42:55.480
Put your price list out there too.

00:42:55.480 --> 00:42:57.400
How can people buy your honey Jeff

00:42:57.440 --> 00:42:57.920
Yeah.

00:42:57.920 --> 00:43:03.200
One of the markets that people seem to like is like the holiday markets, if you can get into them.

00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:05.839
They say that you know they're a more limited time.

00:43:05.839 --> 00:43:10.000
It's not every Saturday or every Thursday, you know

00:43:10.140 --> 00:43:20.380
These markets want you to be there, so they you have a contract, you need to be there if it's raining, if it's snowing, if it's sleeting, you know, the tornado is in the next community over.

00:43:20.380 --> 00:43:22.460
Whereas these holiday markets

00:43:22.540 --> 00:43:27.820
Mm, they're it, that's you know, one event and people come to by.

00:43:27.820 --> 00:43:29.980
And also I think it's a good idea

00:43:30.160 --> 00:43:36.240
You can definitely get more per jar if you are selling your honey because you're not going the wholesale route.

00:43:36.240 --> 00:43:42.080
But if before you commit to a regular gig, know that you don't hate it.

00:43:41.940 --> 00:43:44.260
Because you will be asked the same questions.

00:43:44.260 --> 00:43:46.020
You will have to talk about flavors.

00:43:46.020 --> 00:43:52.339
Like if I start talking about how I extract honey and the different flavors, do you see now I'm doing an app from my honey?

00:43:52.120 --> 00:43:55.320
But if I start talking about it, I generally am enthused about it.

00:43:55.320 --> 00:44:00.280
But at the same time, I know that I don't want to commit to a weekly farmer's market.

00:44:00.280 --> 00:44:06.760
So I do those one offs, but I also know that I really enjoy that communication with people.

00:44:06.359 --> 00:44:08.359
You do some other things too with your honey.

00:44:08.359 --> 00:44:14.520
You're working with local producers making specialty drinks with honey and you package it a little bit differently.

00:44:14.520 --> 00:44:15.480
You do a different

00:44:15.559 --> 00:44:17.880
jar I just do regular queen line jars.

00:44:17.880 --> 00:44:21.319
You do you spend the effort to put in different t types of jars.

00:44:21.480 --> 00:44:22.760
I think that's great.

00:44:22.760 --> 00:44:28.760
Well I extract it over the season 'cause I literally don't have enough equipment, but that turns out to be this

00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:39.160
huge gift because I'm extracting the different I just had a big basswood flow and now I'm into a more mild honey and some clovers and

00:44:39.440 --> 00:44:42.079
Got some Japanese knotweed that's ama amazing.

00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:43.200
So I separate it.

00:44:43.200 --> 00:44:47.680
So what I did do is I use lid color to describe

00:44:47.840 --> 00:44:54.640
to discriminate what kind of honey it is so that I can tell and I can bottle it differently and then tell people the general flavors.

00:44:54.640 --> 00:45:00.160
And then I took five different flavors to a distillery slash brewery operation.

00:44:59.859 --> 00:45:01.859
and said, here are some jars of honey.

00:45:01.859 --> 00:45:05.140
If you're interested in i any of these flavors, let me know.

00:45:05.140 --> 00:45:08.660
And they did buy some, which is very, very exciting.

00:45:08.660 --> 00:45:08.980
So

00:45:09.260 --> 00:45:12.220
Did they buy us stronger honey or lighter honey?

00:45:12.220 --> 00:45:15.820
They bought every single kind of honey I had to sell.

00:45:15.820 --> 00:45:18.140
Which is because if they are into flavors.

00:45:18.140 --> 00:45:24.060
I also I have a bartending gig, so I also put honey syrup in my craft drinks.

00:45:24.160 --> 00:45:28.800
And I and I use a different kind of honey depending upon the cocktail.

00:45:28.800 --> 00:45:34.320
And that makes a difference and people get very excited about they can taste the honey in a margarita.

00:45:34.320 --> 00:45:36.000
They can they can taste the difference.

00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.320
So it's it's it's kind of fun.

00:45:37.960 --> 00:45:44.120
So you're putting honey in the margarita or you're making simple syrup out of the honey to put in the margarita?

00:45:44.120 --> 00:45:48.120
It's honey but it's through a simple syrup because otherwise you get a blob of honey.

00:45:48.120 --> 00:45:50.920
So but I will make up simple syrups and

00:45:51.140 --> 00:45:59.700
and use those during my shifts and I'll have usually have a couple of different flavors, not flavors, but different sources.

00:45:59.740 --> 00:46:08.140
It I mean it to put a to put Japanese knotweed, which tastes a little bit like buckwheat, to put that into an old fashioned people really like it.

00:46:08.140 --> 00:46:11.820
So you it's just it's kind of fun to be able to take those flavors and

00:46:11.960 --> 00:46:13.160
Bring em to the bar.

00:46:13.160 --> 00:46:15.560
French and autra drank rusty nails.

00:46:15.560 --> 00:46:18.200
Drambuie made with honey and rye.

00:46:18.920 --> 00:46:19.160
Ah

00:46:19.780 --> 00:46:20.260
I love it.

00:46:20.420 --> 00:46:29.060
And I went in and ordered a rusty nail and I asked the bartender if they could make it and she said, yeah, another old man comes in here and asks for that drink.

00:46:29.060 --> 00:46:32.099
I had to call her on that right away.

00:46:34.880 --> 00:46:36.240
I love that.

00:46:36.319 --> 00:46:40.960
I think I think this is a great opportunity to wrap this up.

00:46:40.960 --> 00:46:42.880
We ended up in the bar at the end of our show.

00:46:43.039 --> 00:46:44.079
We should end up in the bar.

00:46:44.079 --> 00:46:45.200
This is fantastic.

00:46:47.380 --> 00:46:53.460
And thanks Stephanie who in absentia but to Jim and Dewey and Becky and

00:46:53.820 --> 00:46:59.260
everybody for listening to a great 400th episode of Beekeeping Today.

00:46:59.260 --> 00:47:04.460
And you know, the one thing we didn't talk about, and I'll just do this one little shameless plug, Becky.

00:47:04.380 --> 00:47:14.860
And I apologize for going backwards here on this, but someone asked about the what's it feel where did I think 400th episode would lead to, or did I think about this?

00:47:14.740 --> 00:47:22.340
Not only did it long ago in twenty eighteen did this start to a four hundredth episode, but Becky and I have a book

00:47:22.440 --> 00:47:26.760
titled Beekeeping Today that's coming out in January of 2027.

00:47:26.760 --> 00:47:31.160
And so yes, to think about the humble beginnings of Beekeeping Today.

00:47:31.260 --> 00:47:38.460
in Medina, Ohio, talking to Kim Flottum to now, and we had all these great contributors to the podcast.

00:47:38.460 --> 00:47:40.300
It is pretty em in a book.

00:47:40.300 --> 00:47:41.260
I really appreciate

00:47:41.640 --> 00:47:45.240
everyone's participation and making it what it is.

00:47:45.240 --> 00:47:48.440
So thank you for joining today on the 400th episode.

00:47:48.440 --> 00:47:50.279
Happy 400th!

00:47:49.900 --> 00:47:51.099
And on to 400.

00:47:52.619 --> 00:47:53.900
On to 500.

00:47:53.900 --> 00:47:54.940
Yeah, I love that.

00:47:54.940 --> 00:47:55.660
I love that.

00:47:55.660 --> 00:47:59.020
And thank you, Jeff, for making us all sound good.

00:47:59.099 --> 00:48:00.059
Right.

00:48:01.020 --> 00:48:03.099
Totally my pleasure.

00:48:03.200 --> 00:48:07.280
And that about wraps it up for this episode of Beekeeping Today.

00:48:07.280 --> 00:48:14.880
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00:48:14.880 --> 00:48:17.680
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00:48:18.360 --> 00:48:19.880
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00:48:19.880 --> 00:48:26.120
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00:48:26.120 --> 00:48:31.640
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00:48:31.140 --> 00:48:40.500
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00:48:40.500 --> 00:48:44.420
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00:48:44.420 --> 00:48:45.859
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00:48:46.380 --> 00:48:48.779
Just head over to our website and drop us a note.

00:48:48.779 --> 00:48:50.140
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00:48:50.140 --> 00:48:52.220
Thanks again, everybody.