The
Part 3
Hunolts
Winter on the Homestead
by Jason and Branwen Hunolt
ere we are, at the waning of our first winter on the Hunolt family homestead. Most people might think that the winter months bring to a close the work necessary to maintain food production, but that couldn’ t be further from the truth. In fact, people unfamiliar with the production of food and medicinal herbs might not realize“ harvest” is a year-round occurrence, especially if you have a hothouse. There is certainly more activity in the spring, summer and fall, but winter is not lifeless.
Winter is especially a time to make ideas, plan and research before all of the spring activity. We have spent a great deal of time building a large cold frame( which allowed us to overwinter kale), planning and scheming, purchasing plants, doing maintenance and even taking classes on beekeeping!
We value the prospect of beekeeping not only to help preserve and, hopefully, multiply bee populations, but also for the wondrous things bees make: honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis and wax.
Honey is a very well-known food— used for everything from sandwiches to desserts, even making alcohol preparations such as mead. But many people are unfamiliar with one of honey’ s foremost applications: a topical medicine for wounds. The Egyptians and many folk herbalists today use honey for its anaerobic property which, when applied to an open wound, doesn’ t allow for infection to take place as it cannot manifest without oxygen. In fact, this is only one facet of its antimicrobial function.
As for the other hive products, royal jelly is a substance created solely to rear a queen and is attributed for her great size. Bee pollen is often valued as an aid for supporting allergies, energy and general well-being. Propolis is a very powerful resinous material produced from the early buds of trees and other plant materials which bees use to not only coat, seal and repair the hive, but also to enclose the bodies of hive invaders they kill and cannot remove, such as a large mouse or snake. This helps ensure a sterile environment to keep the hive healthy. Propolis is valued as an extremely powerful antiviral and antiseptic. Because of this, many cultures use it to fight off illness and to dress wounds, even though it is tricky and sticky to work with. Bee wax is useful for candles, but since we’ re herbalists, we also value it for its role in salve making.