The AMAZING HONEY BEE
There’s a lot of talk about the importance of supporting locally-grown foods. What’s not always getting enough of attention in the growing interest of local foods is the honey bee. Why all the fuss about honey bees? Because our food system depends on these little guys (and gals, and drones). One-third of our food supply depends on pollinators. Honey bees are the most important pollinators of many fruits, vegetables, flowers and crops. Honey bee populations have dropped drastically in recent years because of imported parasites and diseases. Scarce bees mean lower fruit and vegetable yields. Bees now need human help to survive, so raising bees has never been more important.
Support local foods by learning more about honey bees. Join the Gaston Co. Extension & Community Association (ECA) for a free program, “The Amazing Honey Bee” scheduled on Thursday, May 13th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Lucile Tatum Center, Gastonia. Guest speaker Cindy Austin, expert bee educator and bee keeper of the Gaston Co. Bee Keeper’s Association, will provide a fun and interesting program on the honey bee. You will learn how critical these small creatures are to the world’s food source, how to handle bee swarms, and how to start a bee hive. The program is free, but registration is required before May 10th. Register by calling 704.865.3291.

Bee swarms. If you see a large dark cluster of buzzing insects which suddenly appeared hanging from a tree branch in your yard, don’t try to kill them. These are swarming honey bees. Contact your local Cooperative Extension office (Gaston Co: 704.922.2112) to find a local beekeeper who will retrieve swarms. If you stay away from the swarm, they will not bother you. The swarm often will leave within a few hours, so call a local beekeeper promptly to report its location.
Amazing facts about honey bees and the honey they produce.
Local honey will begin to be harvested in late May and early June. Check with local beekeepers for a honey source near you.
Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years. One honey bee worker only makes 1/12th a teaspoon of honey in her entire lifetime. In order to produce one pound of honey, 2 million flowers must be visited.
Honey bees do not die out over the winter – they feed on the honey they collected during the warmer months and wait for spring. The honey bee is not born knowing how to make honey – the younger bees are taught by the more experienced bees.
Pollination is the first essential step in a process that results in the production of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Without the honey bees’ pollination work, many crops would be reduced and some would not yield at all. Research shows that the direct value of honey bee pollination to agriculture in the United States is valued at more than $14.6 billion per year in the increased yield and quality of agricultural crops.
Honey is composed primarily of carbohydrate and water, while containing small amounts of a variety of vitamins and antioxidants. One tablespoon of honey has about 64 calories and 17 grams of carbohydrate, and contains no fat, cholesterol nor sodium. Generally, darker honeys have a higher antioxidant content than lighter honeys.
Honeys differ in color and flavor depending on the blossoms visited by the bees. Honey color ranges from nearly colorless to dark brown, and flavors can vary. As a general rule, lighter honey has a milder taste and darker honey is stronger. Common varieties of light honey include: alfalfa, clover, sage and sourwood; varieties of medium honey include: blueberry, dandelion and orange blossom; dark honey includes varieties, such as buckwheat and wildflower.
Honey and diabetes. It is often asked if honey is a good replacement for sugar in the diet of persons with diabetes. Keep in mind that honey has more carbohydrate and calories per tablespoon than found in granulated sugar. Since honey is sweeter than sugar, it can be substituted using smaller amounts in cooking. However, the amount of calories and carbohydrate you save with this substitution are only minimal. For individuals with diabetes, it is important to count the carbohydrate that is in honey as part of your daily eating plan.
Infant botulism. Honey should not be fed to infants less than one year of age. Honey often carries the seed-like spores of the botulism bacterium (Clostridium botulinum), which are able to germinate in the immature digestive systems of infants. Infant botulism can cause difficulty in breathing and paralysis.
Storage. Store honey at room temperature, in a dry place such as your kitchen counter or pantry. Storing honey in the refrigerator accelerates the honey’s crystallization. Crystallization is the natural process in which liquid in honey becomes solid. If your honey crystallizes, simply place the honey jar in warm water and stir until the crystals dissolve. Another method is to place the honey in a microwave-safe container with the lid off and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until the crystals dissolve. Be careful not to boil or scorch the honey.
Honey in cooking. Honey can be substituted for sugar – 1 measure of honey is considered the sweetening equivalent of 1.25 to 1.5 measures of sugar, although the amount of added liquid must be decreased because of honey’s water content. Honey will keep breads and cakes moister than sugar will, losing water to the air more slowly, and even absorbing it on humid days. Honey slows the development of stale flavors in baked goods and warmed-over flavors in meats. Bakers can use its acidity to react with baking soda and leaven quick breads.
Substituting honey for sugar. For best results, use recipes developed for using honey. When you substitute honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. With experimentation, honey can be substituted for all the sugar in some recipes. When substituting honey for sugar in baked goods:
– Reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey used.
– Add about ½ teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
– Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent over-browning.
Helpful hint: For easy measuring and clean-up, coat measuring cup or spoon with cooking spray before adding honey. A 12-ounce jar of honey equals a standard measuring cup.
Beekeeping basics. NC Cooperative Extension proudly sponsors the Gaston County Beekeepers Association (http://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/content/gcba) which is open to anyone interested in learning more about beekeeping and honey bees. Beekeeping classes are offered in Gaston and surrounding counties. Contact your local Extension office for further information.
Linda Minges is a registered dietitian with the NC Cooperative Extension (gaston.ces.ncsu.edu) and can be reached for information on nutrition, food safety, and wellness at 704.922.2127 or linda_minges@ncsu.edu.

WELCOME TO THE MAY BLOG



"HANDS TO WORK, HEARTS TO SERVE'



Gaston County Cultural Arts

Gaston County had a wonderful Cultural Arts Contest this year. We had a lot of talented member enter astonishing items. The judges found it very difficult to choose winners this year. But here is our list of First Place Winners.

• Sewing: clothing, etc.-Ann Helms


• Sewing: home furnishing- Judy Potts--Also BEST OF SHOW


• Knitting: clothing, etc.-Betty Agerton


• Crocheting: clothing, Etc.-Betty Willis


• Hand needlework: embroidery, cross-stitch, etc.-Jackie Green


• Crafts-Ann Helms


• Basket/chair bottoming-Lois Withers


• Christmas decorations-Jean Kopf


• Jewelry-Gail Sherrill


• Quilts: appliques machine-Kathy Andrews


• Quilts: appliqued hand quilted-Sandi Henderson


• Quilts: embroidery-Jackie Greene


• Quilts: crib or youth-Kathy Pope


• Quilts: other techniques-Jackie Greene


• Quilts: Wall hangings-Kathy Andrews


• Photography-Betty Willis


• Ceramics-Pat Mantooth


• Dolls-Judy Ferguson


• Pottery-Ann Helms


• Scrapbooking-Ann Helms


• Fine Arts/Misc.-Ann Helms


• Miscellaneous-Ann Helms


• Poetry-Margo Englehart

WEST CENTRAL DISTRICT CULTURAL ARTS CONTEST (Gaston Co.'s First Place Winners)

After winning at county level our members competed against 16 other counties. The blue winners for Gaston were:

• Sewing: home furnishings-Judy Potts


• Hand needlework: embroidery, cross-stitch, etc-Jackie Greene


• Quilts: appliqued machine-Kathy Andrews


• Quilts: appliqued hand quilted-Sandi Henderson


• Quilts: embroidery-Jackie Greene


• Quilts: crib or youth- Kathy Pope


• Quilts: other techniques-Jackie Greene


• Photography-Betty Willis


• Poetry-Margo Englehart

Lets wish these members well in the State completion in October.

BEL-HEIGHTS CHALLENGE
During 2008 ECA had a slogan contest with the winning slogan, “Hands to Work, Hearts to Serve” being submitted by Margo Englehart. ECA voted to purchase 20 aprons that would have the ECA logo and slogan on them - a great marketing tool. Since the apron cost is higher than anticipated, Bel-Heights has donated $100 toward the cost and has challenged all other clubs to donate $25 or more to this project. Let’s all show our support for ECA and meet the challenge - make your club’s donation in MAY.

COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Shirley Ferguson, our County Council President, is doing better and is now at home and receiving therapy several times a week. She sends her thanks and appreciation to everyone for the beautiful cards, flowers, thoughts and prayers. She misses and loves you all. Shirley will be back as soon as possible.