It's easy to think of bees as annoying pests. Many kids are petrified of them; they tend to make their homes in places you wish they hadn't; and for some, their sting can be deadly.
According to the New Agriculturist, however, bees are good pests to have. Many fruits, vegetables and oilseeds depend upon bees for pollination. Livestock depends upon bee-pollinated forage plants. They also state, "bees pollinate about one-sixth of the world's flowering plant species and some 400 of its agricultural plants." Pretty impressive for a little pest.
Bees are the only insect that produces a food eaten by man--honey! And, according to the Benefits of Honey website (Who knew there was one?), "Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and water; and it's the only food that contains "pinocembrin", an antioxidant associated with improved brain functioning."
Our pastor raises honey bees on his farm. This is also where we get our free range eggs. I'm glad we began buying from him, because I honestly might never have thought about the difference it makes buying fresh and local otherwise. I was a consumer okay with using the convenience of the grocery store for everything.
What fresh and local foods do you enjoy?
This post is part of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. You can find a list of other participants here.
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