by PF Louis
January 14, 2012

from NaturalNews Website


A bright, hyperactive boy named Henry Miller undertook an unusual mission at the age of eleven.

 

The mission was unusual because he was so young and new to country life. His family had moved from urban Los Angeles to a rural spot in Washington State when Henry was ten.

His adopted mission was to contribute to the honey bees survival. He started his own bee keeping and turned it into a family business producing raw honey on their small run down farm outside of Bethingham, Washington. Now at 14 years of age, Henry runs a family business producing raw honey.

 

And he contributes part of his profits to the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees.

 

 

 


How Henry learned about colony collapse disorder (CCD)


Henry was inspired by a serendipitous and sudden awareness of colony collapse disorder (CCD).

 

When he was eleven, he boarded a plane with his mother and a stranger sat beside him. That stranger was a bee farmer, who found a pair of ears with the precocious young boy. Henry was informed of the bees important role of spreading pollen around to maintain agricultural and wild plant life.

The bee farmer explained how a strange phenomenon called colony collapse disorder was causing bees to suddenly disappear in large numbers in several regions around the world. He told Henry that if all the bees disappeared, in seven years there would be serious problems with the entire food chain.

This situation is not exaggerated.

 

The bees disappearing from CCD has been a mysterious honey bee pandemic for over a decade. The global problem synchronized with Bayer's introduction of neonicotinoidand clothianidin pesticides. Both are toxic to insects that fly because the plants suck them up from the soil and into plant pollen areas.

Butterfly populations had dropped as well. But the bees were affected worse because they return with polluted pollen to their crowded hives. What are claimed to be sub-lethal toxins accumulate over a short time into lethal levels. France was the first to ban Bayer's toxins in 1999, and their bee populations increased.

Naturally Bayer disagrees with that assessment. But in 2003, the French Minister of Agriculture banned Bayer's pesticides once more. Obviously, EU nations have more responsible agricultural agencies than we do in the USA.

In the USA, Bayer was granted conditional registration of their clothianidin pesiticide in 2003 while testing that product.

 

Bayer's profitable marketing continued throughout the testing period of 2003 to 2007. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considered Bayer's four year foot dragging test during their marketing explosion as "scientifically sound."

However, leaked EPA internal memos demonstrated otherwise. The tests were faulty and should have been considered inconclusive. But they were allowed, and Bayer's pesticides are flourishing in America.

 

This type of "wink and nod" generosity is common toward chemical companies who do their own testing.
 

 

 


Grassroots hope for honey bees


The European cooperation among independent large and small bee farmers and bee keepers managed to get governments on the bees side.

 

France, Italy, Germany, and Slovenia have banned most of Bayer's pesticide use. In the USA and wherever Bayer and other chemical companies have their way with top government agency bureaucrats, grass roots action is the only solution.

There is a movement toward more sustainable organic small scale bee keeping letting bees breed and grow naturally. And promoting natural immunity for bees is chosen over killing natural enemies with chemicals.

More bee keeper hobbyists have sprung up recently, promoting honey bee survival by raising a few bees of their own in backyards and on apartment building roof tops.

 

And of course, there's Henry Miller.
 

 

 


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 Henry’s Honey

-   Teen Has a Passion for Beekeeping   -
by Jessica Harbert

March 3, 2011

from GrowNorthwest Website

 

Jessica Harbert is a freelance writer

and lives in Bellingham.

 

 

Each year when Henry Miller starts school his teacher asks the students to write down one interesting fact about themselves.

 

Henry said he has many facts about himself that his teachers have a hard time believing, but the 13-year-old often writes that he owns his own business. And no one ever believes him.

 

But he surprises his teacher and classmates when he tells them about his business, Henry’s Sweet Miracle Honey.
 

Henry Miller looks at some of his bees.

PHOTO BY DENISE MILLER
 

Henry was sitting next to a man on an airplane two years ago, and they began talking. As it turned out the man is a beekeeper, and he and Henry began discussing the importance of bees.

 

Henry soon learned about colony collapse disorder, a problem putting the existence of bees in danger.

“Bees pollinate the crops, so without them there would be no food,” Henry said. “It’s critical. If we don’t solve this problem humanity will be in trouble.”

As a result of Henry’s passion to help with this problem, a portion of the profits from Henry’s honey is donated to the Preservation of Honey Bees.

There are so many mysteries about bees. Not only do bees do everything in the dark, you must approach the bees with love because they can sense fear, Henry said.

“I know I need to be calm,” Henry said. “But I often go running from the bees.”

Henry’s honey is a raw product, meaning it is not heated over 120 degrees or watered down, he said.

 

The raw honey is more likely to crystallize, but that doesn’t mean it goes bad, Henry said. It just needs to be heated up. Pasteurized honey doesn’t have the same benefits and nutritional values as raw honey.

All the honey is produced locally, and any honey used from other hives Henry and his family gets the product from Skagit County bee keepers, Denise said.

The company sells both pure honey and a line of special spicy honey, called “Stingers” including Grumpy Grandpa, a spicy red pepper and garlic honey, Phoebe’s Fireball, a chipotle Chili and cinnamon honey and Naughty Nana, a spicy pepper and ginger honey. These are good for cooking and marinating, or on toast or with cheese.

Living on 40 acres of property in Deming, Henry and his family have a lot of pets, including dogs, cats, Miracle the donkey, a llama, goats, sheep, chickens and thousands of bees. Miracle, the family’s donkey, almost inspired Henry to go with Henry’s Sweet Ass Honey, but to make it more “mom-friendly” Henry said they switched it to Henry’s Sweet Miracle Honey.

 

But to not let the name mislead customers the honey doesn’t have magical powers.
 

Henry’s Sweet Miracle Honey products are available at four stores,

including Nelson’s Market in Bellingham and Everybody’s Store in Van Zandt.

PHOTO BY DENISE MILLER
 

The business is a family operation with Henry, his mom Denise Miller and his dad Tom Roberts, doing all the work to keep the business running.

“I have no problem telling people I work for my son,” Denise said.

All the business duties are done by the family.

 

Henry’s dad designs the labels, Denise does demonstrations and Henry writes all the copy.

“We are learning lots about starting a business,” Denise said. “We do as much as we can together.”

In Washington State, there are several other honey producers. Some have been around for generations.

 

But Henry and his family are learning a lot about their new endeavor.

“We are the new kids on the block,” Denise said. “We are in awe of every detail and are learning.”

In March, Denis and hopefully Henry, if he can take the time from school, will travel to the Natural Foods West Expo in Anaheim, CA to continue telling people about their special honey products.

“We have got an overwhelming response,” Denise said. “It is really phenomenal for us.”

 

 

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