Getting ready to move...everything!

Our weekly Costco run = fresh Canadian heavy cream for the caramels.

What's new on the farm:

It's been a nice, mild November so far here in Saskatoon.

The weather is cool enough for the bees to stay in their hives while we continue to wait to head west.

Yes, we are still waiting! It's been a string of bad luck with truck issues and scheduling to get the bees moved.

Some of you have written to ask why we don't hire another driver or rent another truck?

Driving a load of bees isn't the same as driving a regular load.

The driver needs to be comfortable with handling literally millions of bees.

They are also knowledgeable about bee behavior.

Honeybees will stay in their hives when the temperature is cold.

But if it's warm and sunny, they will want to go flying.

Regardless of whether the hive is on the ground or on a truck.

We can't restrain the bees in their individual hives because they need to have airflow.

We do put nets over top of the load so the bees don't fly away and bother people on the ferry.

But if the truck stops somewhere and it's warm enough, the bees will start coming out of the hives.

Even though the net keeps them in, it's not easy for them to go back into the hive where they came from. They aren't able to orient themselves like they usually would.

To avoid flying, the driver adjusts his stops and route to avoid long stops during the day when it is warm.

He plans his stops at night, or where it's cold, like in the mountains.

So when it comes to replacing the driver, it's not very easy to do. Many people turn us down!

As for the truck, that comes down to cost.

Renting a different semi-trailer for the same driver to use increases the cost of the trip by a lot.

We have to weigh the benefit of leaving earlier for the extra cost. Right now, we are okay with delaying the trip.

The weather in Saskatoon this November has been wonderfully mild and cool. No big snowfalls in the forecast yet.

And the later we go to Vancouver Island, the cooler the weather will be over there when the bees arrive.

We don't want it to be too warm when we bring the hives, because the bees will want to fly in the warm weather.

But it's too late in the season for there to be any nectar or pollen to collect.

And they will end up wasting their precious energy that they need to outlast the winter.

So even though the uncertainty of our trip has been a little stressful, the situation is perfectly okay!

In the Kitchen

I wrote a few weeks ago that we have a new space!

We got the keys on November 1. There are a few renovations that had to be finished before we could move in.

New drywall, some painting, a lot of new electrical for our creaming machines, and new plumbing for our sinks.

Plus lots of cleaning!

Everything should be done this week, and then we can set up our new honey creamer that arrived last week!

We ordered the creamer in September to help keep up with your orders, and we sorely need it now.

The timing is pretty nuts for a move right now, right in the middle of the holiday season.

If you have placed an order, THANK YOU! We see your notes that you will be giving them as gifts, or stocking up for yourself.

It's so cool for us to be able to know that you enjoy our honey and are sharing it with your loved ones.

We’re just a simple family business. Growing at a pace that still lets us care for our honey the way we think it should be cared for is a dream.

And it’s only possible because of you.

Most beekeepers don’t get that option.

They may be able to sell some of their honey to their local customers, but most of it goes to a large packer, who processes it however they want.

That’s the only way most family operations can survive.

So it feels rare and special to be able to harvest and pack our honey the way it's mean to be, and share it directly with you.

Thank you for bringing our honey into your lives!

Honey Glazed Carrots

Roasted root veggies is my favorite way to eat vegetables in the fall.

You get to use produce that is in season, in the most comforting and delicious way.

This recipe adds a lot of flavor to your carrots with a healthy dose of ground ginger, cinnamon and a honey glaze.

You can also try this with other vegetables (I love parsnips! Or brussel sprouts!).

Customers have told me they have love roasting veggies with our lemon ginger honey, which is a new combination for me!

But our pure honey and Spicy Honey are great contenders as well.

Test drive this recipe for your upcoming holiday dinners.

Find the recipe here at Downshiftology.