Finding, Making and Eating Real Food in Amherst

I heard through the State Farm Bureau that our region of New Hampshire is tenth in the nation for food sold "direct to consumer". A quick look around at all the farmer's markets popping up everywhere should make this statement of no surprise to us.

We are so fortunate to live in an area where we can buy most all our food right from the source. While it will be a few months yet before most of us start to harvest tomatoes from our backyard gardens, there are some signs to watch for to remind us the growing season is coming.

I'm always on the lookout for the first honeybee sighting of the season - which was a few weeks ago during that warm spell. Honeybees can't fly in temperatures below 53 degrees, so they hibernate tight in their backyard hives around Amherst. On the first day of temperatures above 53, you'll see them flying - They take a quick look, a nice breath of fresh air and then tuck back in the hive to await the flowers.

Here in New Hampshire, honeybee season starts with dandelions and ends with goldenrod. So, when your first dandelions start to pop up, you may want to let the honeybees have a go at them for a few days before you take them out. After all, it's their first meal of the season.