Hi Jim –
I am a beekeeper and would recommend your readers look into the option of keeping bees. Honey bees produce food that stores without excessive processing (it has two things to fight spoilage, a natural antibiotic and the sugar concentration is so high it won’t support bacterial growth). I use the conventional Langstroth bee boxes but a person desiring to use the bees for home or farm could benefit by using the inexpensive top bar hive method. The top bar hive produces comb honey and the wax makes great candles. Top bar hives are not migratory in nature so they are best suited for permanent installation. Bees have predators and skunks won’t bother your bees if you get the bee box off the ground and up on a stand. The stand will allow you to work the bees without bending over. When working the bees you must smoke them a little to calm them down and choose a mild day. There is not enough room or time here to get into the details of the hobby of bee keeping but with the Internet and perhaps a local beekeeper for a mentor, you too can enjoy the science and art of beekeeping. Regards, – Uniform Delta
Letter Re: Learning Beekeeping is Worthwhile for Self-Sufficiency
