Our honey was nutty and viscous, with a nose that was straightforward and had strong herbal overtones. No, I’m not talking about wine, as the term terroir is often used. Our honey had taken on distinct nuances from having so many sunflowers in such close proximately. This year we don’t have sunflowers, but we do have eleven beds of assorted herbs, and we are having a banner year of nasturtiums. We can’t wait to see how varied and unique the flavor profiles of our harvest will be when affected by the local flora. After three years of keeping bees, I am more cognizant of how much I have learned from the WCBA, Ken Warchol, and from my own experience. I am also aware of how much I still don’t know about beekeeping. I cooked for a living for ten plus years before I called myself a Chef. I use the same thinking in my role as a keeper of bees. That’s just it, I’m a keeper of bees, not yet a beekeeper. Perhaps after a few more seasons and a few more years at bee school, I also will be able to proudly say I am a beekeeper and have a deeper understanding of how our environment plays a role in the foods that we produce. John Lawrence is co-owner & executive chef of Peppers Fine Catering and a member of the Worcester County Beekeepers Association
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