Author Archives: brookfieldfarmhoney

About brookfieldfarmhoney

Brookfield Farm, a small off-grid apiary in Maple Falls, WA focuses on the beauty and bounties of Washington’s wilderness. I sell honey from our bees, whose naturally-treated, antibiotic-free hives are home to bees who fly Washington’s mountains and farmlands. Herbal salves and lip balms from Brookfield beeswax. Delicately infused honeys and vinegars. Varietal honeys from independent Washington beekeepers. Karen Edmundson Bean: beekeeper, photographer. Her love of the wilderness inspires her to discover new ways of bringing the wonders of nature to others. Brookfield Farm : the tastes, textures, sounds, and images of nature.

Beeswax Chews (or the Big Bits Floating On Top Of Honey)

Posted on February 13, 2016 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I started selling “beeswax chews” at Seattle’s Ballard Farmers’ Market. After explaining what they were to customers, I thought – “hey, a new blog topic”. Now “Beeswax Chews” are what I’ve always called the big bits of wax that float … Continue reading →

Posted in 92 Honey | Tagged beeswax, Brookfield Farm, Chews, Maple Falls, Washington, what are | 3 Comments

The Honey Paw Uncapper – I like it

Posted on January 23, 2016 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Last year I finally purchased and used a Honey Paw Uncapper. It works quite well, but it was a pain to buy. Nothing like sending 200 EUROS (about $215 at this time, I think the exchange made it higher when … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Extraction | Tagged Brookfield Farm, extraction, frames, honey, Honey Paw, how to, Maple Falls, uncapper, Washington | 1 Comment

Honey Foam : the White Stuff on Top

Posted on January 9, 2016 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Honey foam may be one of the most surprising things about the appearance of raw honey. It is often greeted with the words: “What’s that white stuff on top?” Regardless of the raw honey’s form, runny or crystallized, it may … Continue reading →

Posted in 92 Honey | Tagged Brookfield Farm, Foam, honey, Maple Falls, Washington, What is, white stuff | 14 Comments

Storing Bee Hive Frames in Winter

Posted on November 21, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I search continuously for easy, efficient, nontoxic ways to deal with bee equipment. Storing frames for winter has been an evolving technique. I am pretty happy with my new set up: stacking frames in boxes set on their sides. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees | Tagged bee, beekeeping, Brookfield Farm, frames, hive, how to, Maple Falls, store, Storing, Washington, Winter | 5 Comments

New Honey Pump at Brookfield Farm

Posted on November 13, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I love my new honey pump from Kelley Beekeeping. But like all love affairs, there are ups and downs, issues to deal with, questions to ask before everything works smoothly. She (all wondrous machines are she, yes?) is a straightforward … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, Honey Extraction | Tagged Assemble, beekeeping, Brookfield Farm, Geared, honey, how to, Kelley Beekeeping, Maple Falls, Pump, Washington | 2 Comments

Bee Year 2015 Overview – Brookfield Farm

Posted on November 7, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

The Brookfield Farm Bees And Honey blog went quiet for a while – ok, for quite a while. But it’s back. Bee work, honey work, festivals, Farmers Markets, a bit of fun in the backcountry and some rather massive family … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, Uncategorized | Tagged 2015, beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, Honey Paw, honey pump, Maple Falls, overview, uncapper, Washington | 1 Comment

Making Bottom Screens 2015

Posted on June 21, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I keep mentioning that I’m “making equipment like crazy” this year, due to good weather and bee hive expansion. One of the things that we make here at Brookfield Farm are our own bottom screens. I don’t use bottom boards … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees | Tagged 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, beekeeping, bottom screen, Brookfield Farm, honeybees, how to, make, Maple Falls, Washington | 5 Comments

Walk-Away Beehive Splits

Posted on June 13, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

It has been an absolutely busy time in the bee yards. The weather has been lovely, the bees have been out, and it did not pour rain in the middle of the Maple and Cascara flows. Looks like good weather … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 4 Hive Components, 8 Brookfield Farm & Bees, 9 Brookfield Farm Bee Yards | Tagged away, beehive, beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, how to, Maple Falls, split, walk, Washington | 8 Comments

Splitting And Supering Hives

Posted on May 15, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

I’m a bit behind in my posts. About 3 weeks ago I went through all my hives, again. The intention was to either split or super the ones that were getting crowded to keep them from swarming. It quickly became … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Beekeeping, 5 Queens and Queen Rearing | Tagged bee hive, beekeeping, bees, Brookfield Farm, honeybees, how to, Maple Falls, nuc, overnight, queen excluder, split, Washington | 8 Comments

Spring Supers for Bee Hives

Posted on April 6, 2015 by brookfieldfarmhoney

Spring arrived early here this year. So I’ve supered the strong hives, many of which were packed with brood, and fed honey to those that had eaten nearly all their stores. … Continue reading →