Alfalfa ?

[For want of a better word]

After the service this morning I was approached by a farmer who offered me a new and nicely secure apiary site.

He is experimentally growing Alfalfa ( sometimes called Lucerne.. a legume family member) as a crop as an alternative to OSR.

I have read around the subject and it seems that in the USA honey Bees are used to pollinate but concerns have been raised that the tripping pollinating mechanism of Alfalfa can cause avoidance?

Any UK beekeepers have any real experience of this crop?

Thanks

 

[Michael Palmer]

Well, I'm not in the UK, but have made plenty of honey from Alfalfa. I think bees are bees everywhere, and when nectar is in the flower, they will gather it. The biggest issues aren't with the bees learning how to trip the flower.

It's about two things. Weather and Agricultural practices.

Farmers here cut their alfalfa three to four times during the growing season. It rarely gets to bloom more than 10-20%. No flowers, no nectar.

The weather has to be hot and humid, with plenty of moisture in the ground.

August fits both scenarios here for alfalfa honey production. We often get hot, humid weather in August, and some farms delay the last cutting to allow the alfalfa to flower. Then a thunder storm passes through and the ground gets soaked. When this happens, we make a good crop.

Since alfalfa isn't a dependable crop, and the bees don't work the flowers every year, and bees don't live over from year to year, I doubt US bees know anything UK bees don't, concerning alfalfa. If the nectar is in the flowers, the bees will gather it.

 

[Paulf]

The farm that my bees are on Has alfalfa. MP is correct it's cut regularly for feed for dairy cattle. Never really seen it in flower

 

[alanf]

Agree with above. The only alfalfa crops I recall in the UK were for silage, cut several times in the season so not many flowers. However, somebody must grow ithe crop for seed, both as farm seed and the seed I've seen in 'health food" shops. If it has potential as an oil seed to replace OSR it's the first I've heard.

 

[For want of a better word]

Agree with above. The only alfalfa crops I recall in the UK were for silage, cut several times in the season so not many flowers. However, somebody must grow ithe crop for seed, both as farm seed and the seed I've seen in 'health food" shops. If it has potential as an oil seed to replace OSR it's the first I've heard.

I will get in touch with the farmer about seed production, as he is a Soil Association registered Organic farm.
He did say that last summers alfalfa crop did flower but was cut too wet and when baled some started to rot.

I will try to convince him that he could get a seed crop for the extreem veggie market plus a feed crop from the baled product.
Obviously if the crop gets to flower we will get another interesting single crop black bee honey to sell at a premium price!.........

I can see it now on the shelves of Hugh Furrywhippingstool's Delli in the William Yard..................

Cornish Black Bee Honey
Foraged on Organic Alfalfa
From the Upper Lynher Valley​

114g 8oz jar... £5.60

 

[pargyle]

Obviously if the crop gets to flower we will get another interesting single crop black bee honey to sell at a premium price!.........

I can see it now on the shelves of Hugh Furrywhippingstool's Delli in the William Yard..................

Cornish Black Bee Honey
Foraged on Organic Alfalfa
From the Upper Lynher Valley​

114g 8oz jar... £10.60

Selling yourself short !

http://www.waitrose.com/shop/Browse/Groceries/Food_Cupboard/Jam_Honey_and_Spreads/Honey

 

[For want of a better word]

I imagine Hugh Furrywhippingstool's customers would expect to pay a little more than the commoners who frequent lowly supermarkets.

I would not expect to be able to extract more than 400lbs of this exclusive honey, so therefore doubt if the product will cause too much of a dent in their profits from the China trade ( and other's) honey lake!

Single flower exclusive honey must be the way to go for the 2 hive owner?

 

[pargyle]

I imagine Hugh Furrywhippingstool's customers would expect to pay a little more than the commoners who frequent lowly supermarkets.

..... Single flower exclusive honey must be the way to go for the 2 hive owner?

Yes ... and finding the sort of 'retail' ventures (be it direct or through a third party outlet) where you are likely to find both discerning customers and those who are prepared to pay a premium ... not easy but they are about. I was looking in the RHS shop at Wisley a couple of weeks ago and their 'special' honey prices are eye watering ... but people were still buying the jars ...

 

[Limousin Lass]

Lucerne / (Alfalfa is the American name) is cut when about 20% flowering. There are a lot of flowers in that 20%. It is a great crop for Bees (and cows).
First year will get 2 cuts subsequent years 3-4. You might see more of it being grown as the inexorable rise in the price of soya is making farmers look for other sources of protein. Huge amounts grown in Spain. Our ground is not suited to it unfortunately as it needs a high PH.

 

[Chris Luck]

My bees won't touch it even when in full flower, I've turned down offers to put hives on it as has every other keeper in the area.

Good for Clouded yellow butterflies though.

Chris

 

[Hivemaker.]

My bees won't touch it even when in full flower,

Perhaps they dislike getting repeatedly bashed over the head during the learning process

 

[Chris Luck]

Perhaps they dislike getting repeatedly bashed over the head during the learning process

Like being at school you mean?

Seriously it does depend on where you are and the farmers requirements as to what happens to it. I have it growing here and there all over the fields and the honey bees still don't touch it.

Chris