Equally as wonderful as Montana, our small 5-acre farm is located on the beautiful Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. We are tucked in between the Olympic National Park and the Hood Canal. The farm is 115 years old, the house is cool, we are only the 4th owners in that many years. We grow lavender, blueberries, raspberries, nuts, flowers, on and on. The abundance is incredible. We try to get there as much as we can, yet our major income producing jobs are in Montana. So, it's frequent visits. We love the people in this area, love the food we can find there - abundant sea food, love the access to Seattle and other cultural opportunities, love the farmer's market in Port Townsend. But there are times... the crime seems to be on the rise, the gray skies can be a bit much, the schools can be a challenge. We work through it.
Interesting that you have "bee keeping" clothing on. Did you know that Hawaii is struggling with a "bee mite" known as the varoa mite (not sure if I spelled that correctly). 90 percent of the farmers here depend on bees to naturally cross pollinate their crops, so there is major concern regarding production this year, as the mites are wiping out our bee population. We are really working towards and hoping for a solution and cure!
ReplyDeleteI used to keep bees (was still learning) before I moved to MT. It's more of a challenge here in MT because you have to winter them over. In WA at my farm, last year and the year before we noticed a severe decline in honey bee numbers, especially on our lavender which is usually crawling with them. Many of the bee folks talk about colony collapse disorder and mites. We have been experimenting with mason bees as an extra pollinator which do not seem to be affected by either of the above. Does anyone use mason bees in Hawaii? I can certainly understand the need for quarantine.
ReplyDeleteHi Ann, I'm reading your blog with interest, and find that for part of the year(?), we're neighbors. It's good to find a fellow OlyPen blogger who shares a love for Hawaii. Montana too, but usually I'm only passing through; love the area around Bozeman though. Thanks for visiting my blog.
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