L'Honey Bee Hives
If you’ve ever visited L’Arche Farm & Gardens, you will discover that it is more than the sum of its parts: greenhouses, chickens, planting rows, wheelbarrow-n-workers. L’Arche Farm and Gardens is a community of people embracing the natural world, striving to live healthy and integrated lives through which mutual benefits are realized. Members of the L’Arche community find meaningful work and sense of purpose through the cultivation of plants, caring for the soil and creating farm products that express human creativity. For me, L’Arche farm is fertile ground for creativity and the promise of a better tomorrow for all!
Out of this fertile place is born the L’Honey Project. L’Honey is a collaborative honey bee project that promotes youth education in sustainable apiculture, social business and care for the vulnerable. L’Honey is a natural extension of the Farm and currently collaborates with St. Leo Youth and the University of Washington/Tacoma. L’Honey is an opportunity for youth to experiment with a social business model that meets human needs and at the same time protects and enhances the natural environment. It is my hope that L’Honey becomes an incubator for a new vision of economics and the promotion of sustainable living. As a hive nurtures young honey bees, L’Honey nurtures the aspirations of our youth for a healthy and harmonious world.
The L’Honey Project is entering its second full season of bee keeping. The apiary consists of only a few hives, but we plan to expand this season. We practice natural methods of honey bee management. We do not use any harsh chemicals/insecticides in our hives. Our current small product line includes bottled honey and hand balm packaged and made by St. Leo youth group members. We plan to expand our line of hive products to include soap and creamed honey. Other market ideas are to promote the Farm with our products as well as work to include L’Arche members in product production. L’Honey also promotes the Youth Migrant Project of the Archdiocese of Seattle and the application of the Social Business Model: People/Planet and Profit the triple bottom line.
Peace and All Good to You!
by Rick Samyn, St. Leo's Pastoral Assistant, Social Ministry