I am really enjoying "wwoofing" here at Millefleurs farm. I stay in an RV which is like being in a little apartment. It's very nice! I've watched the sunrise out my bedroom window and have morning coffee looking at Lake Ontario. I have been isolating for two weeks, hanging out in my little pad when I haven't been enjoying the tasks on the farm!
I have been weeding around the lavender plants and had the job last week of threshing the culinary lavender. It smells sooooo good working with lavender all day! I used the threshing machine which has brushes going in both directions taking the flowers off the stem. The stems are then "straw" and used as mulch around the garden plants. The next stage (which I haven't done yet, but hope I get to do!) is to sieve the flowers to break off the brown from the blue. This is not French lavender which smells wonderful but doesn't taste good. The farm supplies a tea house in Kingston and sells culinary lavender in the store as well.
I have been fortunate to help and learn some beekeeping tasks from Sylvain. Beekeeping is a detailed, complex and reflective art. I have learned how to identify drones and the queen, how to inspect the hives in the spring and Sylvain even let me install some new "nucs" (nucleus hive--four frames with bees and queen to start a new hive). Sylvain reads the clues in the hives to decide what to do next. I love it so much! Bees are extraordinary creatures! I was so excited the first time I found my own queen. I prepared the brood boxes to accomodate the new "nucs", so I have had an opportunity to really learn by doing. It has been such a pleasure.
Wilma and Sylvain couldn't be kinder. They are both very intelligent and curious people. They met in the first cohort of Katimavik! You younger readers may have to look that up :) They had dreams of a farm, of lavender and honey, of making things and producing things and they put these dreams into action as retired people. I find them admirable, and I am enjoying their beautiful property and activities.
I have been weeding around the lavender plants and had the job last week of threshing the culinary lavender. It smells sooooo good working with lavender all day! I used the threshing machine which has brushes going in both directions taking the flowers off the stem. The stems are then "straw" and used as mulch around the garden plants. The next stage (which I haven't done yet, but hope I get to do!) is to sieve the flowers to break off the brown from the blue. This is not French lavender which smells wonderful but doesn't taste good. The farm supplies a tea house in Kingston and sells culinary lavender in the store as well.
Lavender and honey....ahhhh! Tho' I'll leave the bee-keeping to you! Make sure when the weather's nice, to get out to Sand Banks. Jump full on into the dunes for me! Also, received that package from Lois, fyi...she says to give you a huge hug! Hey! can you ask your hosts about Manuka honey? What makes it 'manuka'? A 'must' in the pantry! Happy you're staying 'home' in Canada for now, Lynne! Vive l'aventures! xoc
ReplyDeleteI haven't asked Sylvain yet, but Manuka honey has a lot of anti-inflammatory, anti=bacterial properties and is harvested in New Zealand where the bees feast on the Manuka plant. In my non-expert, amateur and humble opinion, we should use honey from where we live. The local viruses and allergies have been fought off by the bees' immune systems and they pass the immunity on to us! Such a gift! Local honey also has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties like the manuka, just not as strong. You can put local honey on wounds too. In fact, when I got stung while working with Sylvain, I learned to take the stinger out first and then dip my finger in the honey in the hive I was working on and apply it to the sting wound. Magic!
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