AJ Finds Lots of Fresh New Honey in the Hives!

Shiny uncapped honey in one of our bee hive frames!

A.J. suited up!

A.J. was out to the garden today to check on the bee hives.  What he found was a lot of new honey!  He brought one of the frames for a close-up so that we could see all of the fresh uncapped honey.


When the bees collect honey, the moisture content is very, very high, about 80% moisture.  Honey cannot be extracted and used at this high moisture content because it would ferment before it could be consumed.  The moisture content of honey should be dried to about 17-18%.

How is this done? Well, A.J. lets the bees tell him this!  

When the moisture level is correct, the bees will cap off each honey comb.  Before it is capped off, bees dry the honey by beating their wings.  Once the moisture content is down to that 17-18% level, they cap off the honey comb to prevent the honey from absorbing any moisture.

Those honey bee's, and A.J. our beekeeper, continue to teach and amaze us!  

- Contributed by Joni Fletty

New Squash Structure for 2015

Jim and Joy
(Click on any photo to enlarge)

Vertical growing is a gardening technique that keeps plants off the ground, improves production and increases usable space.  We will be able to harvest the squash from inside the structure.  

Jim Ashbach in our office has constructed squash structures in his home garden that have proven to be very effective.  Together with Joy Grognet, they put together our first test row for this year.

Zip tying the cattle panel above the ground

Here is Jim’s description of putting together these structures”

“Items used: Fence posts at each corner, 16’ cattle panel and zip ties to hold everything in place. The posts we used are a little small for what we are doing but they will work this year."

"We kept the panels off of the ground so they don’t rust out so fast. We pounded the fence posts in and then set the cattle panel down on the ground on one side and then lifted the other end over the other two posts and set in place and then zip tied onto the fence posts in two places on each post.”

Once the squash fruit develop, we will probably use some type of sling to support each one individually.  If this is successful, we will look at doing this with our cucumbers and other vining crops!

Thank you Jim and Joy for putting this up.  Judging from the pictures, you didn't have any fun at all!! 

- Contributed by Joni Fletty

While the Kids are Away, the Staff Will Play... in the Garden!

Volunteers from our staff came to the garden this morning to harvest.  With the holiday weekend we will not have any youth in the garden until Wednesday, July 8th.  We wanted to make sure that the fresh produce made it to Valley Outreach Food Shelf so they could be enjoyed by families for the holiday!

Today we harvested Pok Choi, Peppers, Cucumbers, Beets with the Beet Greens, Lettuce, Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Herbs!

We are only 11.36 pounds away from hitting 

15,000 pounds of food donated to the food shelf since 2009!

Happy 4th of July!

- Contributed by Joni Fletty