Hello! Happy National Agriculture month! Let’s look at Canola and Honey…North Dakota ranks #1 in production in the United States for both of these. Do you know how they are related? We grow canola on our farm, so we get to see the relationship that canola and honeybees have first-hand which is so fun!
First a backstory on Canola. Canola is part of the Brassica family (the same family as cabbage) and blooms a bright and beautiful blanket of yellow usually mid to late July. This right here is why honeybees and canola are related. Canola blooms bright flowers that honeybees love. Honeybees make honey from all the wonderful nectar and in turn help to pollinate the canola. I’d say they are good friends! If you look closely there is a bee resting on the canola plant on the picture, I included this week. Do you see it?)
Around a month or so before canola bloom on the farm the bee workers will place hives on pieces of land that are in close proximity to the canola that will be blooming in the area. Then around early fall they take the hives they had placed and get ready to take the bees to a warmer climate, like the almond groves in California. Such a fun process to learn about!
With so much talk about honey I wanted to share a recipe that showcases honey. I decided to do Hot Honey. This is so good on cooked vegetables, cornbread, chicken, etc. Here’s the recipe:
Hot Honey
1 cup honey
2 T red pepper flakes
1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
Heat all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Don’t boil. Once combined and hot, strain if desired and store at room temperature.
I hope you have a great week! Check out more recipes and life on the farm on thefarmchicken.com!
— Mariah Nienhuis | TheFarmChicken
