OAC: Natural Products

  • Kyle Valentini
  • December 8, 2010
  • 264
                        
Winter is a time for farmers and gardeners to slow down, ponder the season ahead and hopefully enjoy the fruits of their labor through canned and preserved food they grew. It is also a time to dream of next season’ s garden and how improvements can be made to allow for fewer weeds, a longer growing season and adding a new bed or two. Gates and fences don’t repair themselves so in winter necessary repairs can be tended to as the cold wind blows. Even with the cold temperatures and the snow on the ground there are still a lot of natural products being produced by creative and entrepreneurial folks who don’t seem to slow down no matter what the season. Beekeepers are busy insulating hives with wind brakes and making sure their bees have enough honey to eat during the winter. If the summer was a good one the beekeeper will have enough Honey to bottle and sell while still leaving the sixty to eighty pounds required to sustain each of his hives for the winter. Bees are very efficient creatures and can control the temperature in their hives without much help from the beekeeper. The worker bee thermostatically controls his hive by clustering together with other bees, ensuring that the temperature is kept around eighty degrees Fahrenheit where the queen resides and that the temperature in the remainder of the hive does not drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. The worker bees accomplish this winter task by fueling up on the honey that they have stored, and by releasing heat through shivering. Egg producers must take measures to keep hens happy and healthy in the winter months but like most of God’s creatures, chickens can endure much more than one might think. Egg production does decrease when daytime highs are below freezing, depending on the breed. Some breeds fare better than others. Making certain hens have plenty of water to drink. Exercise is not only good for us but for the hens as well. Exercise allows the hens to stay warmer and fresh air outside the hen house is good for the birds. Attempts to keep a hen house warm usually result in too little ventilation as hens have a lot of moisture in their breath and in their droppings. Poor air quality from ammonia build up will not be good for the hens. Using artificial light to extend the day helps chickens eat more in the winter. If egg production is sustained the producer can continue to offer fresh eggs to his customers, much to their delight. The soap maker can utilize dried herbs and flowers from the summer garden to enhance the look and smell of her products. Handmade soaps are usually high in quality and rich in natural ingredients that benefit the skin without harming the environment as they are rinsed away. Soap makers tend to charge more for their products than the inexpensive varieties found in stores that really aren’t soap at all but synthetic detergents. The cost is quickly justified once you try handmade soap. It is easy to get hooked on natural soaps from independent artisans. Much like a chef in the kitchen, the soap maker has her own recipes that reflect her individual style. Handmade soaps can be found with ingredients like olive oil and other high quality vegetable oils, goat’s milk, herbs and essential oils used to make the soap and you smell delicious. Nowadays candles are much more than tapers meant to light the way in case of a power outage. Candles are themselves work of art made by craftspeople with a love of pretty looking and pretty smelling things. In handmade candles you will find clean burning candles that not only illuminate the darkness but sweeten the air with delightful seasonal smells like citrus, vanilla and maple. The best candles are those made from natural ingredients and candle makers know this. Beeswax and soy are popular in handmade candles as they burn cleaner and longer than synthetic wax candles. Be aware of the many natural products available even though most farmers’ markets are closed for the season. The farmers and gardeners have put the fields and beds to rest for the winter but Earth’s elements still remain in products available year round because of the people determined to bring you safe, local items inspired by nature.


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