"Wax is made by bees that have been nourished by light. Pollen is, so to speak, materialized light. When the bees hatch they have the ability to free the light they have ingested through the pollen, making snow-white wax. Then man can collect this wax, make candles, and in the dark period of the year around Christmas he can free the light again from the wax in the bee. It is really a big wonder."
- Johannes Wirz, Biodynamic Beekeeper & Biochemist (Queenof the Sun website)

Happy Holidays to you all, however you choose to celebrate this Season, we hope you have some sweetness and light to help usher it in! 

With the coming of winter, as we turn inwards so do the bees. Bees keep each other warm by forming a "winter cluster" and constantly rotating from the outside of the cluster to the inside, so the warm bees heat those who are becoming cold. The waiting….still waiting on word from the State and Feds on our applications…visions and revisions…we are getting closer!   Local government approved—yay Greenland Twp!  We have to file for an entertainment permit so we can continue to host the wonderful events that we hosted in the summer of 2011! 

We just wanted to take a moment to update you on our status and to send wishes for a Merry and Bright Holiday!  May 2012 be the best year yet! 

Cheers~ Melissa and John 

the Bees Knees Donor Plaque at the Algomah Honey House and Meadery

Created/Donated by Pam Beal and Wayne Walma
size:  approx . 13x 20 inches

virtual beeyard visit, Kickstarter Success!!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.289039154446402.90897.100000209582277  for the full album, visit the facebook link!

Kickstarter project a success thanks to generous backers!!  We are so grateful~  Hope to see you all at our harvest festival Oct. 7th and 8th!!  Schedule below: 

Algomah Acres Honey House will hold their first annual Harvest Celebration, October 7^th and 8^th, 2011, at 611 Plank Road in Greenland, MI.

Events will begin with a mead tasting and social, 5$ Oct. 7^th, 6 PM.  At 7:00 PM, Red Tail Ring will perform a concert.  To listen to the band or for more information visit the website: http://www.redtailring.com/  The concert is $10 at the door. 

Oct 8^th, 10am-4 pm will be an Artist Market featuring 15+ vendors, food, music, and kids activities.  Vendors will include Algomah Acres Honey Farm (honey and hive products, pumpkins), Wintergreen Farm (produce, jams, jellies, artisanal herbs), Pam Beal and Wayne Walma (quilting and woodworking, gourmet garlic and more!) *Pam and Wayne will also be giving a workshop on growing garlic, Hope Soap from Jacalyn Salloum, Paitings and mixed media by Gail Maloney, Watercolor and acrylics by Judy Hiltunen, Apron and photography by Jacie Williams, Woven rugs by Grace Strong, Ceramic Ocarinas (flutes) by Carrie Noblet, Jewelry and dog treats by Drew Johnson, Baked goods, candy and more by Michelle and Katri Smith, Driftwood hangings and stepping stones by Lynn Isotalo, Brandi Palomaki-Hartsell with tie dye garments and jewelry.

Music will include hammer dulcimer and guitar with Fran Strong and Chuck Young.  Musicians are encouraged to bring instruments--drop in to play a set!

*piano on site!!

Our weekend celebration will conclude with a 6 PM Potluck Dinner to honor the Harvest and success of our Kickstarter Meadery Project—Presentation of the Donor Plaque.  Melissa and John of Algomah Acres Honey Farm just finished a successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for getting into commercial meadmaking in their historical church/ honey house.  Kickstarter is an online fundraising platform for creative projects, one category being food.  For more information visit the website: 

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/663683868/sweetness-and-light-algomah-acres-honey-house-mead?ref=live

Call 906-883-3894 or e-mail algomahacres@live.com with questions. 

Sweetness and Light: Algomah Acres Honey House Meadery Project!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGXlrhCDA14&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Hello Friends!! John and I had a project accepted by Kickstarter!! We are very excited, as there have been 2 projects in the UP recently who reached their goal via kickstarter--the Rabbit Island project and the Brickside Brewery in Copper Harbor. Today we launched our project!! Please read our project synopsis below and I will share a bit about kickstarter below...if it is new to you!!

We are beekeepers in the pristine and beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we operate our licensed honey house out of a historical church building. Beekeeping strikes the perfect balance between John’s culinary experience and my art background, and it allows us to combine our environmental passion with our interest in artisanal food products and gardening.

It is a natural extension of our passions for us to branch out into mead making, and to use the skills we have developed in home brewing to open a meadery in our historical church.This would make us the first Meadery in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!
We plan to start out as a "micro-meadery", producing small batches of artisanal meads, and other mead related beverages such as pyments (mead that is fermented with grape juice) and cysers (mead fermented with apples).

The money that we raise via Kickstarter will be used for start-up licensing fees and equipment to make the magic happen!
Beekeeping and its process allows for creativity. It is both a passion and a lifestyle that we plan to continue by means of sustainable methods. We keep between 50 and 100 hives.

Please visit our kickstarter webpage, watch the video, and consider kicking in to our project!! Please feel free to e-mail or ask questions if you have any!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/663683868/sweetness-and-light-algomah-acres-honey-house-mead

What is Kickstarter?
They’re the largest funding platform for creative projects in the world.
Every month, tens of thousands of amazing people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art, technology, design, food, publishing and other creative fields.
A new form of commerce and patronage. This is not about investment or lending. Project creators keep 100% ownership and control over their work. Instead, they offer products and experiences that are unique to each project.
All or nothing funding. On Kickstarter, a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands. Why? It protects everyone involved. Creators aren’t expected to develop their project without necessary funds, and it allows anyone to test concepts without risk.

Yours truly, Melissa, John, and the bees :)

Summer Schedule of Events! More to come...

We would like to share with you our summer schedule of events!

Algomah Acres Honey House Events
Summer 2011
611 Plank Rd. Greenland, MI
906-883-3894
algomahacres@live.com
Find us on Facebook!!

Open House Art Fairs: featuring 10 local and area-wide artists and crafters! Live music and refreshments:
Saturday July 2nd, 10am-5pm
Saturday July 30th, 10am-5 pm
(honey house also open Fri. and Sun. 1-4 PM July 29th and 31st)

view photos of the event at : 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245255515491433.81229.100000209582277&l=7697485592

2nd Tuesday History Panels
(featuring various local historians and characters)6-7:30PM
Topics include local mining, logging, education, farming, and local culture (names and topic schedule forthcoming

· June 14th
· July 12th
· August 9th
· September 13th
· October 11th


3rd Thursday Beekeeping Forum
6-7:30PM
· June 16th—beekeeping basics
· July 21st –beeswax body products
· August 18th –mead making
· September 15th—honey tasting!

1st Sunday Artist Market
(featuring local and area-wide artists and crafters, live music and demos)
2-5 PM rain or shine
· July 3rd
· August 7th
· Sept. 4th
· October 2nd

starting to paint the hives

sponsor a hive custom paint jobs have begun....

new jars and labels

Here are some new jars that we are trying out: 125ml and 255ml. Our labels are made by Peninsula Graphics in Ontonagon...new UP symbol label was my mother Sally's idea!

Sponsor a Hive Project

Algomah Acres Honey Farm wants you to be part of our project--you can help the bees and sponsor a hive!!


In February 2010 we became owners of the historical Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Greenland, MI, with plans to base our beekeeping honey house out of the kitchen and basement. The grant funds would allow us to improve the structure’s access and systems for year round use and to increase visitor awareness of the facility. (please view previous posts to see the rest of the story!)


Eventually we would like to open the main floor as an art gallery, shop, and community meeting place. In addition to the retail aspect, artist workshops and classes would take place in our facility. Income from the honey business is currently allowing us to keep the building in operation, but improvements are needed to continue with our creative endeavors and to sustain the historical building.


Sponsorship Rewards


25$= one lb jar of raw unprocessed Algomah Acres Honey


50$= one lb jar of raw unprocessed Algomah Acres Honey, bar of olive oil honey beeswax soap, and a 4 oz jar of flavored creamed honey


100$=one lb jar of raw unprocessed Algomah Acres Honey, bar of olive oil honey beeswax soap, and a 8 oz jar of flavored creamed honey, hive products gift set with lipbalm, lotion bar, and beeswax candles


200$="sponsor a hive" donor: one lb jar of raw unprocessed Algomah Acres Honey, bar of olive oil honey beeswax soap, and a 8 oz jar of flavored creamed honey, hive products gift set with lipbalm, lotion bar, and beeswax candles and a beehive dedicated to you: your name and custom artwork painted on a beehive especially for you!! Monthly correspondence about what "your" bees are forraging on, etc. If you are in our area, suit up and take a tour of the beeyard with us!


500$ = "sponsor a hive"donor: all of the above plus a special harvest package including comb honey and a sampler of our most recent hive products, plus your name on a donor sign in the honey house. If you are in our area, suit up and take a tour of the beeyard with us! Join us for a soap making or candle making workshop at the honey house as well!


Links


http://artists.miupperhand.com/algomah-acres-honey-house/
http://www.gardenandbees.blogspot.com/
http://www.algomahacres.etsy.com/
http://www.melissa-hronkin.blogspot.com/

Update on Sponsored Hives: 

Happy Summer! Yes, it will soon be summer.

These pictures were taken today, June 18^th. It has been a cool and wet spring, but the bees are doing well! Here are some pictures of the sponsored hivesJ I tried painting some inside before the bees came, but realized after we put them in the yard, that the boxes were not necessarily going to stay stacked the way the painting is oriented….better to just go out and paint once the colonies are established and the bees have settled in to 2 brood boxes (the larger ones on the bottom). Any week now we will be putting “honey supers”on –extra levels—so that the bees can store all of that honey they will be producing!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your sponsorship. The bees thank you, and you are putting good energy into the universe via the bees J We will give you updates as the summer progresses.