where I work

Bringing International Women’s Day to My Office

Today is International Women’s Day and it’s a perfect time to show off my new office décor. It’s a print of the Hillside Club by David Lance Goines and, while I love all his work, I’m particularly fond of this piece because of what it represents. On top of that, when I ordered the print, I also received Hillside Club notecards—lagniappe at its best!

Hillside Club poster by David Lance Goines

The Hillside Club was formed in 1898 by three tea-sipping ladies from Berkely, California, who wanted to protect the area hillside from unscrupulous developers. Decades later in the 1960s, a new generation of Hillside Club ladies rallied to save the San Francisco Bay from developers who were filling it in for urban expansion. Today this region’s beauty reflects The Hillside Club’s success and the great things that happen when women get together.

These days we’re hearing a lot about the force of womanhood and how long-awaited issues are finally being addressed. We’re inspired by the many famous ladies who put themselves out there for the betterment of the others. But today, on International Women’s Day, let’s not forget the lesser known but equally important gatherings of women whose “getting things done” are motivation for the rest of us.

Like the Hillside Club.

Beekeeping and My Season of Growth

Jars of honey on beehiveSo my tenure as beekeeper has come to an end. Rather abruptly, I might add. Last weekend bald-faced hornets invaded my hive and even though my guard bees fought valiently—there was a massive swarm of agitation happening at the entrance of the hive—it appears the hornets have won. This week most of my bees are gone. So are about six frames of lush, unharvested honey.

Lucky for me, I had harvested my share of honey the week before. Those unharvested frames, those I left for the bee’s winter feed; those were my “reinvesting and saving portions of the harvest for yet another season of growth.” A season that apparently is not going to happen.

Yes, and no.

Yes, I’m disappointed. The nurturer in me feels bad, like I somehow let down my bees. But my disappointment isn’t overwhelming and I’m choosing to relish the sweet side. Being a newbie, I allowed myself low expectations based on the many challenges facing today’s beekeepers. I knew this would be a season of learning and, wow, I’ve learned a lot. All summer I enjoyed watching my bees forage from one group of plants to another. I became conscious of the summer’s detailed progression in ways I previously hadn’t observed. And honey! Just look at that sweet, golden honey! I hadn’t anticipated harvesting any this first year, but those little troopers worked so hard to share.

As a beekeeper I’ve had a temporary setback, but not for long. Next spring I’ll be ordering more bees and another summer of fun!

In the meantime, I’m interested in this organization: The Honeybee Conservancy. The Honeybee Conservancy is a non-profit organization responding to the bee crisis. Check out its Sponsor-A-Hive program, which puts hives in schools and community gardens across the nation. Think of the educational opportunities! The pollinating potential!

The Honeybee Conservancy is a way to “share the harvest with others” and reinvest portions for “yet another season of growth.” Writer Denis Waitley says it so well, doesn’t he?

Care to donate? Currently, a $5000 grant is matching every dollar donated.

Want a hive for your school? The deadline for registration is November 11, 2016.

Want a FREE educator’s kit? Think lesson plans, worksheets to “build reading and science skills, raise environmental awareness, and empower students to help the bees.”

 

Wednesday Webs: Things Keeping My Interest This Summer

Bees on their brood frame in Wisconsin

So this has been my summer of beekeeping. Since I know absolutely nada of these honeys, I’m learning things as I go. For example, I now know the cone shape in the center above is a queen cell and since I already have one queen, another could be problematic. I should get rid of this cell. Or not. The challenging aspect of Beekeeping 101 is that the old salts are notorious for their variety of preferential practices (kind of like our world of marketing, yes?). In any event, so far I’ve managed to not kill my bees, nor have they left me for a better keeper.

Besides beekeeping (and my usual gardening and raising baby chicks), here are other agricultural interests that have me humming this summer:

  • Speaking of bees, here’s an interview on what we can do to improve their future, by an unconventional Madison entrepreneur
  • Similarly, the Chicago Honey Co-op works to produce honey and promote the good work of bees
  • You’ve heard of CSAs. How about CSFs, (as in Alaskan fish)? Grassroots, out-of-the-box entrepreneurism at its best!
  • We Live On the Internet. We Die Alone. Are we living our lives online instead of living it for real? This isn’t a farming story, but its poignant intensity shows a season of life that applies to us all. This summer spend time digging in the dirt. Grow food and share it with people. Spend real time with real people!

Soil Sisters ad by Adunate Word & Design

  • I’m once again proud to be working with Soil Sisters, a fun-filled, culinary and ag event. Here’s the ad Adunate did for them, which appeared in the summer issue of Edible Madison magazine. Going to be in Wisconsin this summer? Come to Soil Sisters, Aug. 5-7.

Sponsor Sampler, by Adunate Word & Design

  • Later, in fall, Fermentation Fest will once again host its convergence of food, agriculture and art. Here’s a piece Adunate did as a sponsor sampler. Interested in sponsoring Fermentation Fest? Contact the Fermentation Fest team right away because they’re putting things together as we speak!

That’s all for now, folks. Hope you’re having a blessed summer!

 

Canning and Planning for the Upcoming Months

Homemade grape juiceIt’s Foodie Friday and we’ve been canning homemade grape juice. We use my mother’s recipe, hence every jar conjures up childhood memories of sweet, purple purity (unlike the artificial, high-fructose infiltrations we have today). I’ll share the recipe below, it’s super easy peasy. Anyway, we did 53 quarts and that means we can enjoy our little vineyard at least once a week for the next 12 months. That, my friends, is how I plan all my gardening and preservation.

I’ve also been planning ahead for Adunate. This is my 10th year in business and I want to do something equally sweet for my clients who’ve made ten years possible. I haven’t finalized my plans but I do know one thing, come this Christmas I’m not going to be rushing around at the last minute. With that in mind, this week I went to Ascentives‘ Customer Appreciation & Product Showcase. What fun! I came away with oodles of samples—gotta love those!—and some neat ideas.

Business owners, what are you doing for your clients this holiday season? Customers, what holiday gifts stand out as special to you? I’m brainstorming ideas, so please share!

In the meantime, here’s the juice recipe:

Homemade Grape Juice

This year we started using a refractometer to measure the brix (sugar content) of our grapes. It’s divine! This means I can take detailed record of brix levels and hopefully eliminate the uncertainty of how much sugar to add to the juice. Last weekend we picked our Concord grapes at 18 brix, Frontenac Gris at 22, and Marquette and Frontenac at 24. 

Per 1-quart jar:

  • 1-1/2 cups washed, de-stemmed grapes
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cups sugar (different grape varieties require different amounts, depending on their brix. I used 1/3 cup, plus or minus)
  • Boiling water

Fill each sanitized jar with grapes and sugar. Top off with boiling water. Skim off any floating whatevers (dried grapes, chaff and, yes, even a few tiny black bugs—this is homemade goodness, after all:-). Seal for canning and process 20 minutes in a boiling-water bath.

When it’s time to indulge, simply pour the juice through a strainer, discard the grapes, and enjoy your tasty nectar!