Ron Gibbs

I am a small one person operation, I have gotten into keeping bees about 5 years ago and I am registered with the state on the apiary list and an acre or so of garden listed on the sensitive crop directory with the state - this prevents spraying by commercial pesticide and herbicide operations in my area without notifying me so I can move the bees or cover the crops I have - it is the best I can do in a state that caters heavily to large operations rather than sustainable smaller scale operations. I am currently keeping 15 hives and producing honey which I filter to 600 microns, unheated, in other words what would be considered raw honey. I produce a little comb honey as well. The honey is from the local flowers, clover, sunflowers, apple trees, etc... I don't feed sugar or anything - there is a wildlife set aside very close to the apiary site as well as my produce and things growing along the creek and roadsides. I keep the bees here year round, I am not a migratory bee keeper. From year to year I grow mostly squash, some melons and various types of mild peppers and tomatoes. Nothing is GMO, most is common things you would find at most markets. I do a lot of vegetable spaghetti, acorn, butternut, pumpkins ( white usually ) and other winter squash. I also do lesser amounts of summer varieties like zucchini and straight neck, patty pans, etc.. I also do tomatoes ( usually a type like better bush or Oregon spring ) I will do some bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans. I sell both from my house and at local area markets, I am not big enough to have a farm stand yet.