Hi all -
 
Just thought you'd like to know that my column in this month's County Living
magazine (the Kids in the Country column) has a story entitled "Sweet Dreams"
which tells of how I became a beekeeper. The August issue is on the stands now
and has a cover with a bed all done up in white linens on it.   I am hoping
that it will encourage more  people (they have a readership of 11 million) to
think about keeping bees and to let children get involved.
 
For those of your who read it and say "Huh?" about the endbar about bees in
trouble, I have to disavow all responsibility.  Well, actually, I was able to
sort of save it at the last minute.  My copy editor, Tom Claire, did not tell
me that he was going to add such an end bar and, therefore, did not ask who he
should call. He found a biology professor at Cornell (not an entomologist) who
he interviewed.  Originially the endbar quoted this fellow  as saying that
backyard beekeepers did not use medication on their bees because it was too
expensive.  He further said that the way to help honeybees was to buy more
honey.
 
I told the editors that that had to be changed......or they would find their
mailbox full of angry letters.  Well, the "buy more honey" part stayed in but
I was able to slip in the real concern about loss of honey bees, i.e. loss of
pollination, and add a note to encourage people to write to their congressmen
and women.  Only then did I allow my initials to be put at the end of the side
bar.
 
If you wonder where I got the "fun facts", I found them on the internet and
from Adam Finkelstien (Thanks, Adam) and used the best, most awe inspiring
ones. Honey Board folk, thanks for your web site, I mentioned it.
 
We were up in Virginia this weekend to take off our honey.  We had a dismal
year.  We lost two out of four hives and the two remaining only produced three
supers total.  But it is delicious.  Hope it will take a blue ribbon at the
fair.
 
All best,
 Faith Andrews Bedford,
Tampa and Ivy, VA