Honey Extraction and Upcoming Linden Honey Sale!
By Soteira Briginshaw, Linden Lead Teacher
Thanks to our partnership with Alvéole, The Urban Beekeeping Company, we have a new rooftop beehive as part of our contribution towards sustainable development. On October 26, our latest workshop with Alvéole was devoted to honey extraction. Elementary students gathered in the gym to help scrape wax from the frames, which were then spun in the centrifuge and filtered before the honey was placed into jars. This week, the beekeepers will return to the school to winterize the hive until it is reopened in the spring.
The big question on the minds of many students has been: "When can I get a jar of Linden honey?"
Beginning next week, 5 oz. jars of honey from our very own Linden rooftop hive will be available for sale! The jars have a personalized Linden label and make the perfect holiday gift. For $10, you can purchase a jar of Linden honey with a watercolour card designed by the Grade 1–2 class. I will be distributing order forms to interested students next week, which students will bring home. We will limit the first round of sales to one jar per student and interested families will be able to note their interest in a second jar on the order form, which will then be selected by lottery.
We received this first year of the Alvéole program for free through a grant application, but the cost to continue it next year is close to $2,000. Program cost covers three educational workshops, bi-weekly maintenance of the hive by trained beekeepers, and all of the hive equipment. Funds raised from the sale of the Linden honey will allow us to continue this much-loved program next year.
If you have any questions about the Alvéole program or about the honey sale, please contact Soteira.