GloryBee Blog

World Water Day

James and Bonnie taking a refreshing drink of quality Eugene tap water after a hard day volunteering in the garden at Fairfield Elementary School.

Post by GloryBee Sustainability Manager Shandy Carroll.

Today, March 22, is United Nations World Water Day. By early spring here in Oregon, we tend to feel like water is abundant, especially the type that falls from the sky. Unfortunately for the world, fresh and clean water is not always available. According to the United Nations, 1 in 6 people in the world do not have access to safe fresh water and a global temperature increase of 2% will result in 3 billion people experiencing water stress or drought.

Global scale water insecurity is overwhelming, but on a local scale, there is a lot we can do as individuals to protect our water supply and ensure future generations have access to clean water.

Refill your reusable water bottle at the tap. Buying a bottle of water uses 700% more water than refilling at the tap or water cooler.

Compost your garden. Composting reduces watering needs by one-third.

Build a rain barrel. A rain barrel that catches water from your roof can be used to water your lawn and garden all year long.

Scientists predict that as the climate changes, our part of Oregon will get drier. With the threat of long-term water scarcity in mind, GloryBee has been working on reducing our industrial water used per pound of product sold. In 2015 we reduced our water used per production pound by 9%.

Coconut Oil Brownies

Delicious chewy brownies from scratch are not as difficult as you may think. This recipe uses some healthier alternatives in place of the vegetable oil and white sugar found in most brownie recipes. Mix together all of the ingredients and then pour and bake - it's just that simple!

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup whole wheat flour
4 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 Cups Aunt Patty’s Honey Crystals
1/2 Cup Aunt Patty’s Virgin Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Mix all ingredients (electric mixer works best) and pour into a greased 9x13 pan
3. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

To make this your own, naturally, add your favorite mix-ins, such as dark chocolate chips, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts!

Warm Potato Salad with GloryBee Honey Dressing

It's been raining NON-STOP here for the past few days and we're all itching for some sunshine so we can start eating BBQ and having picnics. It just wouldn't be right to eat regular potato salad in the rain, so we've got a warm potato salad that is the best of both worlds!

INGREDIENTS

1/3 Cup Aunt Patty’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Aunt Patty’s Organic Virgin Coconut OIl
1/4 Cup GloryBee Raw Honey
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp bottled hot pepper sauce
1-1/2 lb small new potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
5 slices bacon, crisp cooked, crumbled
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine vinegar, oil, honey, mustard and pepper sauce; mix well.
Toss half of the dressing with potatoes, reserving half.
Spread potatoes evenly on sheetpan.
Bake potatoes 18-20 minutes, tossing in the remaining dressing halfway through.
Add bacon, parsley, green onions and salt; mix well.

Recipe courtesy of National Honey Board

Sugar Syrup Recipe For Beekeepers

We’re often asked why beekeepers need to supplement feed their bees with sugar syrup. They eat honey, right? Feeding your bees helps nourish a newly established colony or lets an existing colony make it through a tough winter when honey stores are running low.

When to feed throughout the year

This completely depends on where you are located but in general liquid feed supplementation is necessary during periods when honey is running low in the hive such as in late winter or early spring.

Newly Packaged Bees: It is always necessary to start newly installed packages of bees on liquid feed. Sugar water stimulates wax production necessary for comb building, which is especially important for a new beehive. In addition, the bees need the sugar water to fuel their other activity both inside and outside the hive. Continue to feed newly installed packaged bees until they quit taking it up which should be about the same time the first major nectar flow of the season starts.

Extraction season: If harvesting honey during the fall season, supplemental feeding may be necessary when there is a dearth of nectar. After extracting, we highly recommend leaving enough honey on your hive from the spring and summer flow to get your bees at least through late winter. This equates to approximately 2 honey-filled deep supers (9 5/8”) but can vary depending on how large your colony is.

How to make Sugar Syrup

For late winter or early spring feeding, make a 1:1 syrup using 1 pound of water (2 cups) to 1 pound of sugar. If feeding in the fall (if not enough honey was left on the hive after the honey flow), make a 2:1 syrup using 2 pounds of sugar per pound of water.

Completely dissolve the sugar in the water by heating the water on a stove top (the water doesn’t need to boil, it just needs to get warm), add the sugar and stir until the liquid becomes clear.

Temperature matters

Bees prefer liquid sugar water to sugar granules for feed because it is easier for them to process. With that being said, it all depends on the temperature. If it is consistently above 50 degrees the bees will take the sugar water. If it is below 50 degrees they will take the solid sugar (in the form of solid cane sugar, fondant, and even candy.

Easter Egg Natural Dye

Coloring Easter eggs is a tradition in many households and a great family friendly activity. Instead of using store-bought kits and artificial dyes, try using household items like berries, vegetables and spices to create a natural dye for your eggs.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Water (use less when working with watery produce such as spinach)
2 Tbsp Distilled White Vinegar
Coloring Ingredient:
Yellow: Turmeric (2 Tbsp) or Cumin (2 Tbsp)
Red: 2 Cups Beets (peeled, diced) or 1 lb. Cranberries (crushed)
Pink: 1 lb. Raspberries (crushed)
Blue: 1 lb. Blueberries (crushed)
Green: 2 Cups Frozen Spinach
Lavender: Purple Grape Juice or 1 lb. Blackberries (crushed)
Orange: Chili Powder (2 Tbsp)

INSTRUCTIONS

Hard boil eggs first - this ensures they are cooked correctly.
Add coloring ingredients into a sauce pan with water and vinegar
Boil for 30 minutes, or until desired level of color is attained
Let cool to room temperature, and strain out berries, vegetables or spices
Add 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
Dip eggs into natural dye solution to color as desired
For deeper hues and richer colors, refrigerate eggs overnight in the color mixture. Eggs can stay in water/vinegar mix for up to 8 hours.

Other Notes & Recommendations:

Design your Easter eggs using stickers, masking tape or rubber bands before coloring
To add a shiny finish to your eggs, add a few drops of olive oil to the egg shell and polish with a soft cloth
Uneaten eggs and even the dye can be composted!

Almond Crusted French Toast with Whipped Ricotta and Honey

Looking for an amazing French toast recipe for a lazy Saturday morning? This recipe uses orange blossom honey and sliced almonds to make a sweet and savory breakfast for the whole family.

INGREDIENTS

For the filling:
¾ Cup ricotta cheese
¼ Cup cream cheese, softened
Zest of 1 orange

For the syrup:
¾ Cup GloryBee California Orange Raw Honey
Juice of ½ orange
½ tsp Aunt Patty’s Organic Korintji Cinnamon

For the french toast:
½ Cup sliced almonds
3 eggs
¾ Cup milk
1 tsp Aunt Patty’s Organic Pure Vanilla Extract
1 pinch salt
8 thick slices of challah or brioche bread
3 Tbsp Aunt Patty’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350° F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the ricotta and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in orange zest.
In another small bowl, whisk the honey, orange juice and cinnamon. Add three tablespoons of that mixture to the ricotta and stir. Reserve the rest for the topping.
In a shallow wide bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and salt.
Spread the almonds out on a plate. Heat a skillet over medium heat.
Melt half the coconut oil in the skillet. Dip half the bread slices in the egg mixture, letting it soak in for about five seconds on each side. Place both sides of the bread in the almonds, pressing them into the side. Put the bread in the melted coconut oil and grill until browned, about 2-3 minutes on each side.
Put the finished bread on an ungreased baking sheet. Melt the rest of the coconut oil in the skillet and repeat with remaining bread slices.
Bake the grilled bread in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. If desired, heat the honey mixture on the stove top or in the microwave. Serve the french toast slices with a dollop of ricotta and the honey.

Recipe courtesy of National Honey Board

GloryBee is now a B Corp!

GloryBee® was founded on the core values of faith, genuine relationships, healthy living and stewardship. We became a Certified B Corporation® because we believe that business can be a force for good and inspire change for the better. B Corp™ certification is our way of demonstrating our resounding commitment to our core values.

In 2015, we took the step to fill out the B Impact Assessment to see whether we could score well enough to be invited to join. The assessment covers all areas of our business operations as well as benchmarks us against other companies, from topics on governance and labor to products and environmental policies. Companies who score above 80 points are invited to join the B Corp Certified community; we were thrilled to have scored 88 points on our first attempt using our current sustainability practices!

We did particularly well on the environmental practices, worker benefits and training portions of the assessment.

Being a Certified B Corporation indicates that we meet the rigorous standards of social and environmental performance. To us, this is much more than just a stamp of approval. Maintaining our B Corp status will challenge us to be the company we strive to be and to improve on our sustainable practices as we grow and remind us to constantly consider how we are affecting our employees, the community, the environment and our clients.

Being a Certified B Corporation will give our business a road map for sustainable growth.

At GloryBee, we will Bee the Change! As a B Corp we will use business as a force for good and work toward the one unifying goal that all B Corporations share – to redefine success in business.

Our goals

Grow our business with a shared and durable prosperity – Faith
Care for our community – Genuine Relationships
Make a difference – Healthy Living
Design market based solutions to environmental problems – Stewardship

Be Carefull When Lighting Your Smoker

Instructive video today from J&J Acres Farm. It’s a good reminder of how quickly things can get out of control and to always have a water bucket nearby while lighting your smoker!

This video had our hearts racing. Luckily nobody was hurt and the damage appeared to be minor in the big scheme of things. Whether you’re lighting your smoker, or just checking in on a hive, it’s easy to take things for granted. Be careful out there!

Homemade Vapor Rub

As the weather begins to change in preparation for spring, many of us are more susceptible to the sniffles, coughing, congestion and sore throats. This homemade vapor rub can help soothe your cold and cough symptoms to let you breathe more easily.

INGREDIENTS

¼ Cup Aunt Patty’s Unrefined Coconut Oil, melted
5 drops GloryBee Tea Tree Essential Oil
10 drops GloryBee Rosemary Essential Oil
10 drops GloryBee Eucalyptus Essential Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Place melted coconut oil in a container and add essential oils. Mix well.
Wait for the mixture to solidify slightly to a creamy texture before use.
To use, rub on chest or carefully under the nose and inhale the essence of the rub to alleviate cold symptoms.

Coconut Oil Banana Pecan Bread

This recipe makes a mouthwatering banana bread using coconut oil and coconut sugar in place of traditional oils and sugars.

Ingredients

1⁄2 Cup Aunt Patty's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Cup Aunt Patty's Coconut Sugar
2 eggs
2 medium overripe bananas, mashed
1⁄2 tsp Aunt Patty's Organic Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Cups Flour
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp Aunt Patty's Organic Cinnamon
1⁄8 tsp Aunt Patty's Organic Ground Nutmeg
1⁄2 Cup Aunt Patty's Chopped Pecans

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together coconut oil and coconut sugar until creamed. Beat in eggs, mashed bananas, and pure vanilla extract until creamy.
In a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add this dry mixture into creamed mixture and mix well. Batter will get thick.
Stir in chopped pecans.
Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 325° F for 70-80 minutes.
Makes 1 full loaf pecan banana bread.

Three Modern Twists on Traditional Beekeeping Supplies

In today’s fast-paced world, most people you meet expect instant gratification. “I want this now and I don’t want to work for it myself.” There seems to be a sense of entitlement sweeping the nation. You can find this mindset among most groups of people you encounter, but you won’t find this to be true for beekeepers.

Beekeepers are traditionalists who believe their efforts determine their results. They are respectful-- they respect nature and they respect people. They know things have been done for thousands of years for a reason, and they’re not out to reinvent the wheel.

If you’re a beekeeper, you know the protective clothing and gear that beekeepers require. What you might not know is that there are some new twists on the old standards that might help take your traditional beekeeping efforts to the next level.

1. Vented Bee Jackets and Suits – Have you ever put your canvas jacket or suit on and noticed that the sweat started rolling off of you in minutes? Vented Bee Suits not only keep the bees out, they let the heat from your body out too. The purpose of bee suits is to keep you comfortable, whether it is comfortable by not being in pain from bee stings, or comfortable by not being overheated in a suit that doesn’t breathe easily. Perfect for a sunny or humid day, vented bee suits can give you the confidence you need to work safely with your bees while keeping you cool, so you get the most satisfaction out of working with your bees.

1. Plastic Hive Tops – Beekeepers aren’t the only ones who need to keep cool in the summer; bees need to be comfortable too. Plastic hive tops have multiple benefits—they keep your hives cool in the summer and help with moisture in the winter. If you are using a wooden top, the chances are that it gets wet and water-logged during the winter and spring seasons. Plastic Hive Tops are the perfect solution to the problems of overheating and excessive moisture. The beauty of plastic hive tops is they overhang the hive and shed water, and their small ridges have the bonus benefit of creating additional hive ventilation.

J-Hook Hive Tool – Although this isn’t new, every beekeeper is looking for tools that help make their job easier. The J-Hook Hive Tool is a great addition to the tools you take with you on the visits to your bee yard. Versatile and handy, the J-Hook Tool is great for lifting frames that are encased in propolis. The beauty of the J-Hook is the J-shaped hook and notch on the end of the tool. It acts as a lever to lift the frames up without damaging them and makes hive inspections easier. The other end of the tool has a beveled, sharp edge that can be used to scrape unwanted wax and propolis build-up within your hive. The J-Hook Hive tool should be a standard tool in any beekeeper’s tool box.

These three beekeeping supplies are sure to improve the enjoyment you receive from working with your bees by keeping you and your bees comfortable. Modern materials and designs help your hives last longer while maintaining the spirit of traditional Beekeeping.

The Power of an Hour

The Dream

When thinking of things that can be done in an hour, most people think of watching a TV show or folding their family’s laundry, but seven local companies in Eugene, Oregon thought bigger— much bigger. They decided they were going to build a house in one hour.

Moved by the story of Andres and Brenda Martinez, GloryBee teamed up with Timber Products, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Windermere Real Estate, Murphy Company, Quantum Health and Papé and decided to host an hour-long breakfast. By the time everyone was finished with the meal, the goal was to have raised the $70,000 the Martinez family needed in order to build a new home through Habitat for Humanity.

Inspired by a dream to own their own home so their two children could have stability and a safe place to grow up, the Martinez family worked hard to save their money for a down payment on a new home, but when Andres was diagnosed with cancer, they had to use all their money for medical bills and worse yet, he was not able to earn as much due to his recovery process. Their dreams seemed shattered.

They knew they needed help, but they didn’t want a handout. They were thrilled to find out they qualified for a home through Habitat for Humanity, and best of all, it was something they could earn on their own, as long as they 1) invested “sweat-equity” hours in building the homes of others, 2) made an affordable down payment, 3) made timely mortgage payments and 4) attended homeowner education classes.

In addition to fulfilling all of these requirements, the Martinez family more than doubled the 400 required hours of building the homes of other Habitat partners by investing over 800 volunteer hours. They were determined to help others, no matter the cost. Their selfless giving not only inspired other struggling young families to give more than they were receiving, it inspired local businesses to partner together and raise the money it would require to build the Martinez family’s new home.

The Reality

Fundraising requires tremendous time and effort, but these seven businesses knew the power of generosity can overcome any obstacle. Some people said it couldn’t be done, but not only did they raise the $70,000 they needed to pay for the cost of the Martinez family’s home, they raised over $100,000 to help other Habitat for Humanity partner families.

Once the money was raised, the local community came together and helped the Martinezes build their new home. People of all nationalities and faith-backgrounds worked side-by-side in the true spirit of brotherhood and gave their time and labor to help a young family have a safe place to shelter their family. It was “unity” personified.

On February 22, 2016, the day finally arrived — Habitat for Humanity hosted a special dedication ceremony for the Martinez family’s new home. The highlight of the day was when Habitat presented the long-awaited house keys to the family. It was an emotional celebration, to say the least.

Some have said that “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” but that’s only because these seven Oregon companies weren’t around in 700 BC. They are proof that in just one hour a lifetime of dreams can be realized.