How great is this video? The footage was taken by Gromaine’s own and beekeeper extraordinaire, Justin Bouchard. Gromaine has benefitted all spring and summer from Justin’s hives. His bees have been busy pollinating all sorts of plants vital to our farm. Here are just a few, perhaps surprising, facts about honey bees…
- One mouthful in three of the foods you eat depends on pollination by honey bees. [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][1]
- The value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is more than $29 billion annually, according to a Cornell University study. [2]
- Many vegetable, nuts, & grains, require pollinating by bees. For fruit crops, pollination is vital to increased yields.
- Bees pollinate thousands of flowering plant species, allowing for everything to blossom in our flower beds.
- Livestock is dependent upon bee-pollinated forage plants, such as clover.[3]
- And then there is honey…. Did you know the taste and color of honey can vary depending upon which flowers the honey bees are visiting?
To learn more about honey bees in Maine check out the Maine Beekeepers Association
[1] Kevin J. Hackett, ARS National Program Leader: Biological Control. Beltsville, Maryland; http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar04/form0304.pdf
[2] Public Library of Science ONE, Cornell University, Insect Pollinators Contribute 29 Billion to US Farm Income. May 22, 2012; http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2012/05/insect-pollinators-contribute-29b-us-farm-income
[3] New Agriculturalist Online: Reporting Agriculture for the 21st Century, The Benefit of Bees; http://www.new-ag.info/00-5/focuson/focuson8.html
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