812-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 9, 2002
Honey Sweetens Beekeeping Family’s Prospects
(Continued from Page B 2)
for purchasing raw honey have
tripled.
When contemplating whether
or not to purchase the Wampler
business, Miller said that he was
most wary of the marketing re
quired.
“I don’t consider myself a sales
person or agressive,” he said.
But Miller has found local
business customers easy to talk
with and enjoys the marketing
end.
The more taxing problem is
moving honey, which is heavy.
Transporting the hives with a
trailer and van required help, and
even delivering the processed
honey is not a task Kelly can
handle.
Honey isn’t easy to clean up,
especially if there are accidents.
Kelly recalled a disaster that
happened on the couple’s anni
versary. The couple was planning
to celebrate by going out to eat.
But about an hour before leaving,
she stepped into the kitchen pan
try and discovered §0 pounds of
honey had drained out. The
honey was several inches thick on
the floor and had seeped into the
basement. It took hours to clean
up, scraping it into a bucket and
using lots of hot water to wash
away the stickiness. The floor
boards needed to be replaced.
State Grange Announces Family Activity Winners
HARRISBURG (Dauphin
Co.) The Pennsylvania State
Grange is a grassroots organiza
tion with approximately 20,000
members in 360 chapters across
Ole commonwealth. The goal of
the Organization is to improve the
lives of rural Pennsylvania
through many vehicles including
legislative action. The four-day
session, lays the ground
workfor legislative initiatives for
the upcoming year. However, the
130th State Convention was not
all work and no play for the more
than 500 Grange members gath
ered in Washington.
The event featured many con
test winners. The following Fami
ly Activities winners are listed in
their respective categories by
Tim and Kelly Miller label honey under the label
Wampler’s Honey and The Honeybee Shoppe. They spe
cialize in alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, orange blossom, tu
pelo, and wildflower flavors.
Needless to say, the anniversary
dinner had to be postponed.
“Looking back, it is kind of
funny, but it wasn’t at the time,”
Kelly said.
Miller said, “ ‘Some days Upve
working with the bees and think
this is where I want to be (full
time). Other times the bees are
placement, name. Grange and
county.
QUILT BLOCK
Maple loaf design piscsd/patchwork:
1. Annie Davis, Fakvisw Grange. 2. fMh
WaWf, Canuoarago Grange. & Evelyn
Grant, Sugw H» Grange.
Sunbonnat Bus or Sam - appSqua: 1.
Am* Dan* Fairvisw Grange. 2. Shirtey
Embroidered Queers or birds: t. Shirley
Swires, Scotch VaKay Granga. 2-Florsnoa
Spangar, Watson Orange. 8. ncrenoe Shaf
fer. Win* Grange.
QUILTS
Entirely hand quitted by an Individual: 1.
June Lauranson, Canusarago Granga. 2.
Pat Weir, UnionvMe Grange. 3. Mary Rid
dle, Scrubgrass Grange.
Entirely hand quilted by a group: 1. Mary
Ann Buckley Family, Lincoln Grange. 2.
Messiah Qullters, Canusarago Grange.
BABY QUILT
OR WALL HANGING
Hand quilted: 1. Annis Davis, Fairview
Grange. 2. Nettie Martsolf, Jefferson
Grange. 3. Joyce Dobson, Unlonville
Grange.
nasty, and I ask myself, “ ‘Why
am I doing this?”
One of those days happened
this summer when he tried to re
trieve a bee swarm on his proper
ty that he estimates hovered in a
branch at least 50 feet above the
ground. He decided not to suit up
in beekeeper’s protective garb be
cause he surmised that he could
easily attain the swarm. Other
wise the mesh could become en
tangled in the branches and it is
very hot inside the garb during
high temperatures.
But some of the bees crawled
beneath his watch, and when
they felt pinched, they stung him.
After being stung 30 times, Miller
retreated to the ground, suited
up, and retrieved the swarm.
In retrospect. Miller said of his
decision not to wear protective
clotting, “That was dumb.”
As a carpenter. I’m not afraid
of heights,” Miller said. “I’ve re
moved them from homes, build
ings, and trees for otter people.”
Miller said in contemplating
the decision to expand the bee
business, he thought of his four
children.
“I have a son and three daugh
ters. What are the chances that
my daughters can join my car
pentry business?” Miller asked.
"With bees, they can join in
Machine quitted: 1. Bdty G. Layton,
Honoy Brpok Twp. Qrango.
MMM
FNM cooldaa.. 1. Janica SUddar, Qqug
(anvMa Grama. 2. Mna Clawson, Ball Twp.
Grama. 3. Maty fHddla, Scnibgraas
2. EWa hWßh*
■MI Mbokalown Qain. J.
flMte: MiiiU OMMto.
Nobaka oaoWaa: VAisyPaul. Hlloasst
Grasps. 2. Vlnoant Banrad, North Ptead
laaw 3. Pan MMhar
■WAA
OMstmas; 1, Mbtam Warren, Chester
Vaßey'Grange. 2. Annette Kramer, Pioneer
Orange. 3. Rom Conrad, Pleasant HR
Grange.
Flowers; 1. Trudy Wigton, Pleasant HW
Grange. 2. G. Elaine Nilon, Frankfort
Springs Grange. 3. Thelma McCormick, Eu
reka Grange.
Miscellaneous: 1. Joanne L. Heim, Trex
lertown Grange. 2. Brenda Lengel, Virgln
vllle Grange. 3. Helen Welgle, Wills Grange.
WOODCRAFT
Candle holder 1. Michael McElhinney,
Scrubgrass Grange. 2. Bill Slusarczyk, Falr-
that.”
All the children help with some
aspects of the business mostly
with bottling. The couple’s six
year-old daughter shows the most
affinity to work ing with bees.
“She’s always there right up
next to her dad,” Kelly said of ex
tracting the honey.
The children also help with
bottling and labeling the honey
and the beeswax products.
Kelly said that the handcream
she developed contains 25 per
cent beeswax, which makes a
very rich embollient. She knows
of no commercial handcream
that contains that much. Her cus
tomers include doctors and
nurses who buy it for its healing
qualities. Some call it ‘Kelly’s
Miracle Cream,”’ Kelly said.
Those who have cracked skin on
their hands say if they use the
handcream, the cracks heal over
night. She also sells it to other
beekeepers and to customers who
hear about it word of mouth.
Kelly likes to experiment by
adding color to candles. Candles
made from pure beeswax are
known to bum slower and clean
er, so her husband frowns on her
dumping stuff into what he con
siders a perfect product.’ 1 ‘He’s a
purist and I’m creative,” Kelly
said.
At this point, the Millers only
place the bee hives locally and
market locally. Miller is intrigued
by the possibility of moving his
hives to warmer states during the
winter. Migratory beekeepers
often travel to Florida and West
ern states during winter weather.
Regulatory inspections when
crossing state lines are mandated.
Because they have school-age
children, Kelly doesn’t see migra
tory beekeeping as a possibility.
She said that she moved 20 times
and 4 attended 28 schools as a
child, so staying in one place is
important to her.
Then, again, she changed her
mind before from being skepti
cal of beekeeping to becoming a
full-fledged promoter of honey
and its products.
This is soms of the macMnsry usod to process honey
in the Minor's shop.
view Grange. 3. Glen Hoppes, Central
Grange.
Lawn ornament 1. Robert Fogle, Pleas
ant MR Grange. Z Mice Dietrich, Btg Knob
Grange. Si ShMsy Swires, Sootch Valley
Grange.
MM or *Mt«''t. Ml Mrtatcqli. Fak
3*^1 mm
svibe MMga, 3. Unde Wanen, Cheater
VWMfqram
ieborah Kolpak, Choelar Valley
Grange. 2. Caroline RaWy. Scotch Valley
Grange. 3. Joyce Guzel, Pawnee Grange.
Recycled material; 1. Sarah J. Hower,
Walker Grange. 2. Donna Atwood, Colum
bla-GWatt Grange. 3. Jane L. Adams, Kutz
town Grange.
AFGHAN
Full size; 1. Julia H. Crlbbs, Blairtville
Grange. 2. Amalia Mitchell, Long Branch
Grange. 3. Stony Point Grange.
Six-year-old Julia Miller
is fast preparing to become
the next generation of bee
keepers in the Miller fami
ly-
Sometimes more than
honey is found in a hive.
Here Caleb finds a snake.
Here Is a basket filled
with some of the items
Kelly makes from honey
and beeswax to sell in her
Honeybee Shoppe. |
Baby afghan: 1. Nancy J. Karr, CarmJ
chaals Grange. 2. Margaret M. Stami,
Ptaaaant HW Qranga. 9. Sharon D, Hack,
Flritwood Qranga.
COTTON CfIOCHETTHNBAO
DoWsa, centerpieces. table runners: 1.
Adda N. Nemalsy, North Washington
Qranga. 2. Gloria MMn, Mahoning Vaisy
——— % —■— - uni
WQpaQP* 3» RMfUift 9vWMfy HM
Orange. .
BiQiirtdeiyVSShlhSi. Oanuaarago
Qranga. a. MMriay Swine, Scotch Va»ey
QnMrg, Jmmßmli), Pmmim Qfiftflt.
an*
1« Carol Kmlnm,
%Ulra< -** l « a»-m- ■-« “
MRaonnW Wl|V< *• IaPN RiWjf*
Makar, BofWo Qtwge 3. Branda Waxier,
wßßhrtßwnftiny.
Crewel: 1. Trudy Wlgton, PI oat ant Hid
Qranga. 2. ShMayAnn M. Larch, Harmony
Grange. 3. A. Baina Cook, Brandywine
Orange.
Plastic canvas needlepoint: 1. Carolyn J.
Mantz, Central Grange. 2. J. Truscott, Hill
crest Grange. 3. Thelma McCormick, Eure
ka Grange.
STUFFED TOY CONTEST
1. Hilda Pflug, Big Knob Orange. 2. Net
tie A. Kauffman, Ontelaunee Grange. 3.
Shirley Swires, Scotch Valley Grange.