Beekeeper

Our apiaries are mainly located in the rural landscapes of Kontiolahti, near Höytiäinen. Not all the honey is harvested from the hives, but the bees spend the winter partly on the honey they have collected. We are moving towards completely pesticide-free beekeeping. We received queens of the Lunden Resistant Queens bee strain for our use and breeding.

Nectar from the fields comes mostly from dandelions and clover, while the crops in the forest areas are willow, hogweed and raspberries. In a forested environment, beekeeping as a livelihood is largely dependent on habitats that are favorable for insects, where there is plenty of light and heat in the ground layer, i.e. clear-cut areas. Following the structural change in agriculture, there are hardly any meadow plants, and hogweed and raspberries, which grow in abundant stands in the seedling stage, are of paramount importance to bees, as well as butterflies, and other nectar-consuming organisms.

Beekeeping as a main occupation creates a 100% dependency on animals, natural conditions and weather phenomena for the beekeeper. It is not just a product, but a human relationship with nature - an understanding of one's own dependency on the rest of nature. In order for a relationship to arise and deepen, it requires presence with the object. Nature as a concept too often means a recreational destination or a source of resources. One's own participation remains thin in understanding. Symbiotic coexistence is an example of what beekeeping can be an example of in the sustainable use of natural resources. Medicinal substances and multipurpose wax are obtained from the side streams of the hive, with circular economy thinking being strong even before the term was invented.

The importance of farming is not limited to honey production. Insects pollinate 75-80% of the world's plant species. In more arid areas, it has been observed that introduced bees have enriched the vegetation, and the number of natural wild pollinators has also increased.

During the long, bright summer, plants secrete high-quality nectar from clean air and clean soil. These ingredients and starting points are what bees use to make the best honey.