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Phoenixville Honey

Honey produced in Phoenixville, PA by Jaarsma Apiaries

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  • 12 December 201820 May 2019
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Look for our honey in the summer of 2019!

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Drones, the males of a beehive, and fairly safe to Drones, the males of a beehive, and fairly safe to bet that they've all been kicked out for the winter (sorry boys). They can't forage for food, don't have a stinger so they can't protect the hive, and their only job in life is to mate with a virgin queen bee, after which they die.  Being a strain on hive resources while contributing nothing in return means you get voted off the island when winter comes.  The queen resumes laying unfertilized eggs usually in March or April to make drones again.  It's something that's always struck me about honey bees - they keep drones around all summer for the benefit of bees as a species, but they never directly benefit their own hive.
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๐Ÿ“ท by Lauren Ariel (@laur.ariel)
December market lineup! December market lineup!
Hope you have a beeutiful Thanksgiving today! . We Hope you have a beeutiful Thanksgiving today!
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We're thankful for all of you!  Every person who liked a social media post, asked us bee questions, stopped by a market for honey, shared a recipe or a book recommendation - we couldn't do this without you!  Thank you for supporting our small business ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
When the clumsy beekeeper spills the sugar syrup, When the clumsy beekeeper spills the sugar syrup, but the clean up crew is ON IT.
#beekeeping #honeybees
Added more sugar syrup feeders to the hives. I us Added more sugar syrup feeders to the hives.  I use these cheap boardman style feeders inside, on top of the inner cover with an empty box on top to prevent robbing.  As you can see, these two ladies found the good stuff right away!  They'll take the sugar syrup inside, deposit it into cells and evaporate it down to turn it into honey as food for the winter.
These little dipper jars will be available on Sund These little dipper jars will be available on Sunday at the Good Food Fest!  It's an 8 oz jar of honey with a mini honey dipper, perfect for gifting or for a treat for yourself.
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@goodfarmsgoodfood #honey #beekeeping
Upcoming market dates! This Sunday is the Good Fo Upcoming market dates!  This Sunday is the Good Food Fest and we'll be at the Eagleview Thanksgiving market this month as well.  Hope to see you at a market!
Did you hear the buzz about the Good Food Fest? . Did you hear the buzz about the Good Food Fest?
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We seriously cannot wait for this EPIC farmers market this weekend at @goodfarmsgoodfood!  We'll have a limited amount of the honey sampler boxes with us (limit one per customer please and be sure to get there early!), and plenty of delicious honey to add to your next cheese board.  See if you can build a cheese board from goods found at the market, and then don't forget to tag all of us when you show off your haul!
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This event, for me, feels like the culmination of a whole year's worth of work, and is a great way to celebrate everything that all of these amazing local farmers, producers, and makers do to bring all of the best local goods to you.  Can't wait to see you all there! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
#goodfoodfest #phoenixville #eatlocal
That warm night market glow. . Thank you to everyo That warm night market glow.
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Thank you to everyone who stopped by and made this an incredible evening!  Every one of you who came out to shop or enjoy the music, the delicious food and beverages, my fellow vendors, the team at @craftandmercantile behind all the details - it all comes together to create something magic, every time.  Hope to see you all again soon! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
2022 Honey Samplers! . Every year, we select our f 2022 Honey Samplers!
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Every year, we select our favorite batches of honey to be a part of these sets that showcase how different honey is throughout the season.  Different flowers produce nectar that can taste dramatically different from spring to fall, and sometimes even between apiary locations.  Each box is screen printed by hand and filled with 3 jars nestled in recycled paper shred for a total of about a pound of honey.  An info card inside describes the types of floral sources and some tasting notes.
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This year, there are 5 slightly different box variations, each containing a spring, summer, and late summer/fall honey.  We produce a small number of these sets every year, so we're limiting these to one per customer.  We'll definitely have some on Friday at @craftandmercantile in Eagleview from 5-8p, and be sure to get there early to snag one!  We'll also have them at our regular markets and the @goodfarmsgoodfood fest in November.
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These are one of my favorite things to put together every year, from screen printing the boxes, to selecting the honeys, and putting everything together and closing the lid.  It's the culmination of a whole year's worth of tending bees, minding their health, collecting and processing honey, and it's still a marvel to me, what the bees and I manage to produce together.  We, the bees and I, hope you enjoy the honey with friends and a cheese board, with a good book and a mug of tea, in your favorite recipe, or simply by the spoonful!
October market dates! October market dates!
Bee working on some (I think) hyssop this afternoo Bee working on some (I think) hyssop this afternoon.  This is definitely a big favorite for bees.  Native and deer resistant, this is a great plant to add for pollinators!
It's no joke that the bees get more defensive this It's no joke that the bees get more defensive this time of year, but we still have to check on them to monitor their health during a critical time of the season to make sure they're healthy before winter.  The eggs being laid now will be the bees that last us through February and March, so as much as they may not enjoy my presence right now, it's for their own good!
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Love to see frames like this with brood in the center, a gorgeous arc of pollen, and honey up in the corners.  Looking good there bees, keep up the hard work!
A honey bee working on some sedum at @rpcommunityg A honey bee working on some sedum at @rpcommunitygarden this afternoon.  What an absolutely beautiful day to take a minute and watch the bees work.
#beekeeping #honeybees #sedum #honeybee
One Local Cheese Board ๐Ÿง€๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฅ–๐Ÿ‡ . A rainy One Local Cheese Board ๐Ÿง€๐Ÿฏ๐Ÿฅ–๐Ÿ‡
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A rainy Sunday afternoon calls for digging through the fridge to put together a delicious cheese board, all local, even down to the board itself!  For cheese, I like to pair stronger cheeses with a stronger fall honey.  Bries and blues play so nicely with the malt and molasses notes in the darker, late summer honey, and the roasted cherry tomatoes were aces with the honey too (I may or may not have used them to scoop up the remaining honey out of the bowl ๐Ÿ˜‡).
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I LOVE the challenge of trying to keep it all local, but it's SO easy with the abundance of amazing locally made and grown food at your favorite farmers market.  What's on your cheese board?
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@birchrunhills - Tomme Molรฉ
@amazingacres - Goat Brie
@locusthollowsheepfarm - Feta
@nstarorchard - grapes and apples
@tbwoodshop - cheese board
@greenlionbreads - baguette
@tineandtoilfarm - cherry tomatoes
@phoenixvillehoney - honey
And the beer is a collab between @deercreekmalt and @322taproom_suburbanbrewingco to celebrate the @goodfarmsgoodfood festival coming up in November!
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#eatlocal #cheeseboard #localfood #growingrootsfarmersmarkets
One of our queens with last year's red mark still One of our queens with last year's red mark still barely clinging on.  She may be my favorite queen - her daughter bees are both productive and docile which isn't always a common combination!  Usually bees that are super docile tend not to be as productive as the more feisty bees, but these bees are just the best.
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As contrast, my feisty hive at the same location managed to pop me one real good through the gloves today where this hive, I barely even touched the smoker.
#beekeeping #queenbee
September market schedule is ready! . Got lots of September market schedule is ready!
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Got lots of darker honey coming in and it's 100% my favorite type of honey.  That darker, richer, molasses and malty flavor is incredible on a cheese board or in coffee or just by the delicious spoonful.  Also a big fan of making simple syrup out of that dark honey and treating myself to an Old Fashioned after a long day.
I joke sometimes that beekeeping is like weightlif I joke sometimes that beekeeping is like weightlifting while reading Shakespeare, but it especially feels that way in August!  I use boxes with only 8 frames, but when full of honey, those deep boxes can easily weigh over 60 lbs, and while lifting those boxes, I'm being conscious of where the bees are, what their mood is, on alert for the "alarm" pheromone or anything that might look out of place.  Once the hive is open, an inspection involves looking at the overall health of the hive - is the queen present, did we see her or did we see bee eggs to at least confirm she's around?  Are there signs of disease or pests (varroa, foulbrood, dysentery, hive beetles, wax moths, etc)? Does the population feel large enough to support continued hive health?  Is the queen laying in a reliable and even pattern?  Is there honey to take?  Are they backfilling the brood nest and need more space?
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It's an awful lot going on at once, all while bees are buzzing around your head, and especially this time of year, dive-bombing the veil.  It's balancing being careful and quick, but also thorough and efficient, all for the sake of the health of the bees.  I wouldn't trade this for anything else! ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
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๐Ÿ“ท by @laur.ariel
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#beekeeping #beekeeper #phoenixville
โœจ That evening market magic โœจ . Last night's C โœจ That evening market magic โœจ
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Last night's Craft & Mercantile market in Kimberton was beyond incredible.  From the band to the weather, food and drink, my fellow vendors, and everyone who stopped out to shop, ask bee questions, or say hello, it was all just perfect.  I'm so overwhelmed by the support for small, local businesses, and you've all made my heart so full. ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ’›
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Many, many thanks to our host, @kimbertonwholefoods and @kimbertongardenandgifts who provided a beautiful space, and to everyone at @craftandmercantile for bringing us together as a community.
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Can't wait to do this again in October at Eagleview!
NEW for Friday's @craftandmercantile market in Kim NEW for Friday's @craftandmercantile market in Kimberton, a cute vintage postcard style tea towel with a little twist on our logo.  These are hand dyed and printed by yours truly, beekeeper and occasionally an artist too.  It's definitely great to bee in Phoenixville!  Stop out to see us and all of the great vendors, have dinner and a drink, and enjoy some great music too.  Can't wait to see you all! (Oh, and my one set of hives is literally across the street so honey doesn't get more local than that!)
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Market is 5-8 pm on Friday in Kimberton, right across from @kimbertonwholefoods and next to @kimbertongardenandgifts.  Check out @craftandmercantile for all the details on the vendors, parking, food, drink, and entertainment.
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#phoenixville #phoenixvillehoney #kimberton #phoenixvillepa
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