Wild bee swarm!

We were clearing a patch of weeds along the top of a hill. The plan was to plant Summer gourds. As we cleared the area, someone pointed out a tree about thirty yards away. It was difficult to see at first, but once spotted it was unmistakable. A dense cloud of bees swarming madly around a medium sized tree! Most likely the colony of bees had left its hive because its queen had died. Misplaced and lacking a matriarch, the colony took refuge on the branch of this tree. Our goal was simple. To transfer the hive to a safe enclosure, shielded from the elements and safe from predators. We began by getting a ladder and making a high-tech bee transfer capsule (cardboard taped together to make a cylinder). Slowly we clipped away the smaller branches around the bee swarm, taking special care not to make erratic movements. Bees are actually somewhat polite. As long as you maintain composure, they don't really want to sting you. The branch and swarm was now exposed. One person held the capsule underneath the swarm while the other prepared to clip the main branch. And there they went! Into the capsule and ready for their new home. Holding the bee capsule felt amazing. Imagine holding a pitcher of water, except every droplet of water is moving independently, creating a soothing syncronized vibration. It was alive! We had a box hive setup not far away and safely transferred the bees to their new home. We ended up adding an extra queen cell from another hive we had setup. Amazingly we were able to witness the queen emerging from the cell before sealing the top of the box hive. Bees are truly amazing creatures!

Back to the basics of broth

Broth. Deliciously deep and soothing bone broth, simmering for hours and filling the home with a warm healing potential. Whether it's for a sauce, braising, cooking grains, or simply served with a fresh herb and wedge of lemon, this elixir of life creates a flavorful nutrient base that can help distinguish a mediocre meal from a great one. For me, there is no nourishment more satisfying than a cup of home made bone broth. This particular broth was very special. Not only did I pick the vegetables from a local bay area farm, but I was also responsible for the harvesting of this beautiful animal. And before you go calling PETA and report that someone is nabbing geese from the local neighborhood pond, allow me to assure you that this animal also came from the same farm. She was given a life of fresh air and space, allowed to roam freely and live with her kind. I will spare you the details here, but I can say that the process was performed with great respect. It was an experience that I will not forget, bringing me closer to the food source and strengthening my understanding of what it means to eat animal protein. Now, for the process:

Ingredients

1 goose (or chicken, duck, etc)
-innards removed, feet and neck included

Vegetables
-carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs (bay leaf, thyme, parsley, etc)

Apple cider vingegar (or white, champagne, etc)
-two tablespoons

Cold water
-filtered if possible, enough to cover ingredients in a large pot

Directions

1) Make sure the bird is clean. A simple rinse in the sink will do. The same goes for the vegetables. If the bird is too large to fit into your pot, you can break it into pieces. I do this for the wings anyway.

2) Put all ingredients, except for the herbs, in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add vinegar and allow to rest for 30 minutes. The vinegar will help pull the nutrients from the bones.

3) Bring to a boil and skim the top of the broth for impurities, usually in the form of a grayish foam. Add your herbs at this point, except for the parsley which will be added at the end.

4) Lower heat and bring to a gentle simmer, continuing to remove any impurities that rise to the top in the first hour of cooking. Simmer, uncovered for 6 to 24 hours. As water level decreases, add more hot water to make sure ingredients are submerged. This should only happen maybe once or twice. If water is evaporating too quickly, lower heat further.

5) After your broth has concentrated, add parsley for the last 15 - 30 minutes of cooking. This will impart flavor and minerals to the broth.

6) Remove broth from heat and allow to cool. Using a fine strainer (I use a chinois), strain the broth into a heat compatible container. Reserve the meat if you like and discard vegetables/herbs for compost

7) Use broth right away or refrigerate. If you are using immediately, season to taste and feel free to skim the top of the surface for fat. If refrigerating, allow for broth to cool as much as possible. Putting something hot in the fridge will create potential bacteria zones. It should stay fresh in the fridge for a week or so and much longer if frozen. Most everyone knows the trick of pouring the broth into ice cube trays and freezing for easy use in soups, sauces, etc.

8) The broth, once refrigerated, should be thick and gelatinous. The fat will also solidify at the top of your container which can be easily removed. If it's duck or goose broth, I will reserve this fat for later use.

What's this all about?

Among other things, permaculture is on my mind. The potential to transform a space by creating a small sustainable system, reducing environmental impact, and promoting the health of humans, creatures, and plants alike. My goal here is to document, explore, fail, succeed, and transform the way I live. I hope to peel away the layers of culturally conditioned habits and move towards the sweet center of intentional happiness, awareness, and sustainability. I'm incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people and places that inspire such activity. The resources and knowledge are there. All I need now is time and the continued will to create the vision.