The wonders of beekeeping and helping struggling honeybees are the main reasons we have beehives, but harvesting honey and beeswax from our girls is an extra special bonus. We don’t take honey every year. If the bees need it for food we leave it, but some seasons the stars align and there’s extra.
George and I are suited-up and ready to extract. Smoke calms the bees.
George selects some frames and we carry them away from the hive. This frame is full of honey – it doesn’t ooze out because once it’s full the bees cap the honey with wax.
The first step: uncapping (scraping the wax from the honey).
We have a hand-extractor to spin the honey from the comb without crushing the wax, so we can put the frames right back into the hive and save the bees the work of reconstruction.
After vigorous spinning, the sweet reward starts pouring out. 
We use the beeswax to make candles and Honey Kissed beeswax soothing hand lotion.
We also make Honey Kissed lip balm from our honey and beeswax.
You can find La Ferme honey – and lots of other delicious local honey – at BioFuel Oasis on 1441 Ashby Ave., Berkeley California. If you’re local you can pick up from us in El Cerrito, email George at elegans@aol.com with your order. And if you want some of our Honey Kissed hand lotion or lip balm, email George or Heidi at heidirand@gmail.com
La Ferme Melliferalle 