Apr 5: Welcome to the 2023 Farming Season!

Bee hives in 'bee cozies' in the snow

Welcome to the 2023 Farming Season!

As the spring rains wash away the snows of winter, the Farm Team is beginning to dream up and prepare for a 'better-than-ever' farming season this year. Weather permitting, the Orchard team will begin the season this coming Saturday, April 8, from 12-4 Pm, with tree pruning in both the upper and lower orchards. We are looking for four volunteers to prune, and two additional volunteers to clean up the branches that have been cut. The Bee team is also requesting two volunteers to assist with the pre-season barn cleanup in preparation for the upcoming beekeeping season. Your help is greatly appreciated. Light snacks and tea will be provided. If you are interested in helping out, please sign up on SignUp Genius >

Beekeeping Update

Bees on hive lid in early springOur lead beekeeper peeked under the upper cover of the hives last week, and found the bees buzzing about. What a delight to see that our bees survived the winter! Bees are most active in the Spring, and this is a crucial time for them. The queen starts increasing her egg laying and the colony starts to thrive. Until the dandelions show up later in May, the team will be observing the hives making sure the bees have plenty of food.

The beekeeping season will start after the uncovering of the hives near the end of May. With Covid on the decline, the team is able to gather more freely and create new opportunities for beekeeping seva. The Bee team will be offering an introductory basic beekeeping workshop in May for our satsang family. Anybody interested in knowing more about bees, or in being part of our beekeeping team is welcome to attend. Details to follow soon. In the meantime, the Ontario Beekeeping Association is offering hands-on workshops. Further information can be found at www.ontariobee.com/outreach/workshops/springworkshops. These workshops are a great resource, providing useful and interesting information about bees and beekeeping. For more info or to reach the Farm Team, email ammatoronto@ammagroups.org.

Om Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu