- Worthington Farmers Market
Worthington Farmers Market: August 26
Some Stinging Facts about a World Without Bees
This week's newsletter comes from a friend and customer of the Worthington Farmers Market, Christy Erickson.
Summer is the sweetest time of year for most of us. It's easy to see why. Days are long, sunshine and warm weather are abundant, and good times are never far away. Yet summer might sour on you pretty quick if you couldn't enjoy its delicious foods. Imagine a cheeseburger with no onions, pickles or tomatoes – or meat or cheese, for that matter. While you're at it, picture a salad with no cucumbers, a picnic with no watermelon, and a cherry tree with no cherries. Now imagine going to the store and finding the shelves bare. These scenes are an accurate picture of what a world without bees would look like.
Bees Do a Lot More Than Make Honey
Most people think of the lowly bee as little more than a pest. In reality, this hard working insect makes it possible for farmers to feed the world's population. Don't believe it? Here are just a few of the crops that depend on bee pollination:
● Tomatoes ● Melons ● Squash ● Cantaloupes ● Strawberries ● Coconuts ● And the list goes on and on...
These and countless other foods would either go extinct or become almost impossible to grow. This ecological nightmare would afflict not only humans but animals as well. Meat would become a rare and costly treat. Say goodbye to your summer cookout. For that matter, say goodbye to up to 1/3 of the meals you eat.
“What About Vegetarians?”
The food crisis would affect vegetarians as well as meat eaters. A plant-based diet requires adequate amounts of not only protein but numerous vitamins and minerals as well. Many of these compounds come from sources that depend on bees to flourish. Everyone would find food harder to come by.
Most people get grumpy when they miss a single meal. Imagine how they would act if they went hungry for days. It's a scary thought. Here's an even scarier fact: the world's bees are in big trouble.
“Where Have All the Bees Gone?”
Large numbers of bees started dying from unknown causes as far back as the 1980s. The threat began to skyrocket in the early 2000s. Some beekeepers report losses as high as 50%. Scientists call the problem Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). You've probably heard about it in the news. Its effects have experts across the globe pretty scared.
Many Suspects, No Single Cause
So what's causing CCD? Most researchers cite a number of factors. The three deadliest culprits are:
1. Parasites that make bees vulnerable to infections. 2. A special class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. 3. Environmental changes such as habitat loss and water contamination.
Research on CCD is ongoing. In the meantime, there's something you can do to help bees make a comeback. It's neither hard nor costly. In fact, It's something you might already do for fun.
Plant Flowers. It's as Simple as That.
A bee garden contains flowers and other plants that are rich in nectar, the substance from which bees make the honey they eat. You don't need a huge amount of land to grow a bee-friendly garden. In fact, planting a single flower in a pot can make a difference. Gardening is a great way to reduce stress, plus it’s an activity you can share with your spouse and kids. Here are some other things you can do:
● Use natural alternatives to artificial pesticides. ● Visit your local farmers market to buy honey and produce from local sources. ● Take up beekeeping, either in your spare time or as a profession. ● Spread the word about bees and the good they do for the environment.
Together we can help to keep the world's bees healthy. They will return the favor by ensuring the world has plenty of food, both now and in the future. That's a sweet deal for Mother Nature and for us.
Photo credit: Antranias
Don't forget, it's Yoga at the Market with Native Cold Pressed! Yoga will start at 8:00 AM on the Southeast Village Green.
Our vendors for Saturday, August 26th include (in both alphabetical and numerical order):
1 J-POPS 2 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 3 Ohio Farm Direct 4 Wishwell Farms Produce, LLC 5 Wishwell Farms Produce, LLC 6 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 7 Sweet thing gourmet 8 Crum Strawberry Farm 9 Franklinton Gardens 10 Curly Tail Organic Farm 11 Oakleaf Farm 12 Oakleaf Farm 12.5 Kombu Tea 13 Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers 14 Purple Sage Bakery 15 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 16 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 17 From My Garden 18 Toad Hill Farm 19 Pies by The PieMan 20 Raven Rocks 21 Kingdom Fish 22 Krazy Kraut 23 Brown Bros. Farms, LLC 24 cottage garden 25 cottage garden 26 Miss Cristy's Bakery 28 Gillogly Orchard 29 Gillogly Orchard 30 Doran's Farm Market 31 Ramble Coffee 32 Speckled Hen Farm 33 Speckled Hen Farm 34 Up the Lane Farm 35 Weed Knob Acres 36 Rock Dove Farm 37 Jorgensen Farms 38 Dan the Baker LLC 40 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 42 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 43 Pleiades Maple Products 44 JNA BREAD BAKERY 45 Native cold pressed 46 Sadie Baby Sweets 47 Fox Hollow Garden 48 KALEZEES Kale Chips 49 Stevens Family Bakery & Orchard 50 The crazy cucumber 51 VanScoy Farms 52 VanScoy Farms 53 bak 54 Blue Jacket Dairy 55 Lucky Cat Bakery 56 North Country Charcuterie 56 darista cafe 57 Dos Hermanos Taco Truck 58 Anderson Orchard 59 Honeyrun Farm 60 Dangling Carrot Farm 61 Dangling Carrot Farm 63 Secret Garden Bakery 64 Michael's Artisan Chocolates LLC 65 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 66 Batter and Bowl 67 Ohio Bison Farm 68 Wayward Seed Farm 69 Wengers Produce 70 Wengers Produce 71 Baileys Drive Inn Donuts 72 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 73 SaraBee Pure Honey 74 Tiger Mushroom Farms 75 Clamlube Brand Hot Sauce 76 Ohio City Pasta 77 Charqui Jerky Co. 78 Organic GreenFix 79 Stonefield Naturals 80 Somerset Herbs LLC 81 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 82 Rhoads Farm Inc 83 Rhoads Farm Inc 84 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC M Branstool Orchards M Rime Time Curiously Crafted Pops
65 A Few Of My Favorite Things... 40 Allergy-free Bake Shop dba Soodles Bake Shop 58 Anderson Orchard 71 Baileys Drive Inn Donuts 53 bak 66 Batter and Bowl 54 Blue Jacket Dairy M Branstool Orchards 23 Brown Bros. Farms, LLC 77 Charqui Jerky Co. 42 Chuck Evans' MONTEZUMA Brand Sauces & Salsas 75 Clamlube Brand Hot Sauce 24 cottage garden 25 cottage garden 8 Crum Strawberry Farm 10 Curly Tail Organic Farm 38 Dan the Baker LLC 6 Dana Lee's Bakery & Catery 60 Dangling Carrot Farm 61 Dangling Carrot Farm 56 darista cafe 30 Doran's Farm Market 57 Dos Hermanos Taco Truck 13 Farmhouse Herbs and Flowers 47 Fox Hollow Garden 9 Franklinton Gardens 17 From My Garden 28 Gillogly Orchard 29 Gillogly Orchard 59 Honeyrun Farm 44 JNA BREAD BAKERY 37 Jorgensen Farms 1 J-POPS 48 KALEZEES Kale Chips 21 Kingdom Fish 12.5 Kombu Tea 22 Krazy Kraut 55 Lucky Cat Bakery 64 Michael's Artisan Chocolates LLC 26 Miss Cristy's Bakery 45 Native cold pressed 56 North Country Charcuterie 11 Oakleaf Farm 12 Oakleaf Farm 67 Ohio Bison Farm 76 Ohio City Pasta 3 Ohio Farm Direct 2 Oink Moo Cluck Farms LLC 78 Organic GreenFix 19 Pies by The PieMan 43 Pleiades Maple Products 14 Purple Sage Bakery 31 Ramble Coffee 20 Raven Rocks 82 Rhoads Farm Inc 83 Rhoads Farm Inc M Rime Time Curiously Crafted Pops 36 Rock Dove Farm 46 Sadie Baby Sweets 73 SaraBee Pure Honey 63 Secret Garden Bakery 81 Silver Bridge Coffee Company 72 Sippel Family Farm/Kokoborrego Cheese 80 Somerset Herbs LLC 32 Speckled Hen Farm 33 Speckled Hen Farm 84 Spotted Salamander Soap Company, LLC 49 Stevens Family Bakery & Orchard 79 Stonefield Naturals 7 Sweet thing gourmet 50 The crazy cucumber 74 Tiger Mushroom Farms 18 Toad Hill Farm 34 Up the Lane Farm 51 VanScoy Farms 52 VanScoy Farms 68 Wayward Seed Farm 35 Weed Knob Acres 69 Wengers Produce 70 Wengers Produce 4 Wishwell Farms Produce, LLC 5 Wishwell Farms Produce, LLC 15 zemnicki farms and greenhouse 16 zemnicki farms and greenhouse
Click here to view our interactive market map.
Community Table: Pet People
Join us this, and every Saturday from 8:00am-12:00pm in Old Worthington! Check out our market calendar by clicking here.
For more information, or questions related to any of our services, please contact us via email at worthingtonfarmersmarket@gmail.com. See you at the market!
The Worthington Farmers Market is an event of the Old Worthington Partnership.
#worthingtonfarmersmarket #farmersmarket #weproduce