The Farmers Mart Feb/Mar 2016 - Issue 44 | Page 43

The Hanson Family

winning dairy producers. Top
quality stock for sale is detailed
on the website (see below).
Beef may be the mainstay of
the farm but when an unusual
diversification opportunity in
the form of commercial beekeeping came along, David
decided to give it a go and
is now a member of the Bee
Farmers’ Association
“We heard about beekeeping from a local
fishmonger, who introduced
us to Brian Rustling, who is an
expert and was a member of
the Bee Farmers’ Association.
We ended up in partnership
with Brian and it has proved a
great success – last year we
produced around 2.5 tons of
raw, honey through what was
a very up and down season,”
David explained.
Honey is produced by honey
bees from spring onwards
starting with the bees feeding
on blackthorn and willow, then
moving through oilseed rape,

beans, hawthorne and then to
the heather on the Yorkshire
moors. Each type has its
own distinctive colour,
texture, smell and
taste. Unlike
bumble bees,
honey bees are
not endangered
by insecticides
- they are prolific
in numbers and
recover rapidly from
any problems, ensuring that
although pure and natural,
this honey is very much a
commercially viable product.
“It works well in tune with
the cattle as when the bees
are quiet, the cattle side is
busy and vice versa,” said
David, who in a varied career
also worked as doorman (aka
bouncer!) at nightclubs to earn
extra cash to invest in the
farm.
“The honey probably makes
as much as the cattle, Y