Time for Plan Bee, if You’re a Last Minute Christmas Shopper

Dec 21, 2012 | Blog

The gift of experience may be the best one of all this holiday season and The Toronto Beekeepers Co-op (TBC) has a unique gift idea that aims to satisfy the bee curious. The TBC will conduct an educational day of urban beekeeping for beginners on February 2, 2013 and...

Fifty Shades of Sustainable Seafood Chowder

Nov 22, 2012 | Blog

It was high tide last night at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York hotel as thirteen of Ontario’s best chefs went ladle to ladle during the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown. The issues that continue to trouble our marine environment played a supporting role...

An Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Chowder Chow Down

Nov 21, 2012 | Blog

Tonight, at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York, some of Ontario’s best Ocean Wise chefs battle it out to become the 2012 Chowder Chowdown Champion. The chefs are all participating in this remarkable Toronto event, as a means to call attention to the fact that overfishing...

Royal Agricultural Winter Fair Is a Honey of a Place

Nov 10, 2012 | Blog

It was a fast day of honey seeeking drop-ins at BEEGrrl on Dundas West.  I shared a honey flight tasting with Sayyad.  He found me through my membership with the  Ontario Beekeeping Association www.ontariobee.com , as he was in persuit of  a local urban flavour....

Honey Party With My Urban Beekeeping Colony

Nov 4, 2012 | Blog

Country bees went up against city bees this weekend at the home of fellow urban beekeepers: Melissa Berney and Shawn Caza.   The invitation to participate in a “honey party” came earlier in the week and it turned out to be sweeter than ever imagined.  In attendance...

ROYAL HONEY at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Nov 2, 2012 | Blog

  The annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair (RAWF) brings hundreds of breeders, growers, exhibitors and a handful of beekeepers to Toronto, Ontario’s Exhibition Place from November 2 through to November 11, 2012. The fair offers a rare opportunity for...

A Friend in Mead is a Friend Indeed

Oct 28, 2012 | Blog

Promise of a glorious fall day and a vacant seat in a friend’s car drew me to the Niagara region earlier this week.  A dense morning fog, as thick as any found on the Atlantic shores, soon burned off to make way for a warm autumn day in the heart of Ontario’s wine...

Bee Yard at Collingwood

Oct 20, 2012 | BEE Yards

Oprah Winfrey has a connection to an Ontario apiary where bees have been farmed for over 50 years. I realize this may be a bit of a stretch, but while Oprah made her ground-breaking Toronto tour stop, I hosted an Oprah “tweet up” for Oprah super fans. There I met...

Bee Yard at Niagara

Oct 20, 2012 | BEE Yards

I first learned of this Beamsville, Niagara apiary through Chef David Garcelon.  Chef had been investigating mead and he learned of a winery in Niagara that seemed to have the best product on the market. Chef wanted to make mead too, but chose to leave it to the...