Disappearing Honey Bees

Ingredients Magazine covered Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in Issue 7, Winter 2012 , and it was bad enough then. Unfortunately, it turns out that the problem is getting worse. This year, there is a serious shortage of bees available to pollinate the almond blooms in California, and that is a serious threat to the entire world's almond supply. The above article from Occupy Monsanto puts it thusly:

"Bee brokers, beekeepers and almond growers around the state say there’s a shortage of healthy honeybees for this year’s pollination, especially after colony collapse disorder took a higher toll this winter. "

Which spells trouble for more than just the almond growers. Without bees, we don't have any fruit, vegetables or flowers anywhere. Now, we can speculate all day about what the true cause of CCD is--personally, I'm on board with what a friend of mine said in reference to the issue today on Facebook: that's what happens when plants make their own pesticides--but arguing isn't going to get us anywhere.

So let's just face it: the majority of crops that bees are exposed to on a large scale have been genetically modified to one end or another, most likely specifically to ward off a type of bug that just won't be stopped any other way. And even if the plant itself isn't a GMO, chemical pesticides and fertilizers used to grow it aren't good for you, and either form of manipulation is definitely not good for the honey bee. 

There are things that you can do to help the honey bee, though, and the really good news about that is the ways in which you can help them enable them to help you! This article in particular, from Mother Nature Network, outlines some really simple ways in which you can make your garden honey bee friendly. Bonus! Annoying buzzers like wasps and yellow jackets aren't attracted to bee-friendly plants. My husband is going to be happy about that :)

GIANT Pumpkins

The results of this year's Giant Pumpkin weigh-in are in, and the winner is:

Tyler Quiqley and his 1,500 pound pumpkin.

That is one big gourd. Interestingly enough, Tyler's neighbor, Matt McConkie, hold's the current state record for giant pumpkins, which is 1,600 pounds. Want gourds this big? The contest is held every year, and you can find details at the Utah Giant Pumpkin Grower's web site, and you can learn about growing your own giant pumpkin in Issue 5.

Going Green!

I don't know about y'all, but every January I start in on the usual new year's resolutions: exercise more, eat less and healthier, etc. In previous years such "resolutions" have been quickly forgotten in the hullabaloo of daily life, but 2012 is going to be different. I've realized over the years that big changes are daunting and scary, but small changes are easier to accept and incorporate.

In my search for healthier diet choices, I came across this article on KSL about making smoothies. This is such an awesome idea! My neighbor actually introduced me to incorporating spinach into my smoothies some time ago, but using other leafy greens never occurred to me. So smart, so healthy and so easy, there's pretty much no reason why spinach and other iron-rich greens can't be blended into any fruit smoothie. Think of it as homemade V8 Splash, only more delicious and less expensive.

So, cheers to the new year with health-packed, delicious smoothies!