Going Organic
with Eleesa Zlatic of the
Lemon Farm Organic Market
(monthly column from The Friendly Bay Islander magazine - November 2015 edition)
Today we collected a swarm of bees, and it reminded me of how misunderstood these little creatures are. Thankfully the yard they landed in also belonged to a lovely lady who respected bees enough to ask for help in rehoming them rather than killing them. Did you know our survival on this planet rests on the work of these amazing creatures? They play a vital role in the health of our environment, busily pollinating plants. Without them many food crops would become scarce, and life as we know it would change dramatically. Thankfully for this swarm, the facebook suggestions to kill them were ignored, and they will have the opportunity to have a hive to call their own. There are some situations where unfortunately a natural hive or swarm cannot be relocated due to the strange places they decide to nest. But generally this is not the case, and it is fear and lack of knowledge that cause these creatures to be killed.
Swarms are a group of bees protecting their queen whilst finding somewhere new to set a hive. Generally if left alone they will not sting. However it is always the safest option to call on a local beekeeper to remove the swarm. Just don't destroy them without seeking assistance.
The plight of bees is saddening, it makes me wonder how humans in the past few generations have become so fearful, so intolerant, and naive about a creature that plays a vital role in allowing us as humans to exist. In earlier cultures they were treated as sacred. I recall seeing a wall painted with a beautiful bee and the words "When we go we're taking you all with us". I think that says it all.
Please stop using herbicides and pesticides on your own property and support local organic beekeepers. The honey will be far superior to the pasteurised and diluted honey from the big honey producers. It will also have health benefits. Create gardens with bee foraging plants and annual flowers... you will be the bees best friend!
I do hope in years to come we will see the humble bee buzzing around on flowers, and humans showing it the utmost respect for the role it plays in the health of the planet.
Thank you to everyone who recently attended the launch of the Chemical Free Island campaign and our extended market. It was a lovely day and we look forward to hosting events like this more often. If you would like to know more about this campaign please join our facebook group CHEMICAL FREE ISLANDS. You will find some interesting articles about why this is important to our fragile environment and for your own health.
In conjunction with the Two Grumpy Old Men we are hosting Free Movie Screenings. The next Cinema Under the Stars event will feature a fabulous documentary called "Dirt! The Movie"...which is being played again by popular request. So if you love the earth, growing things, and doing your bit for the environment, come along to this evening on the 21st November.
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