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| The Borobudur Apiary |
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A Bee Farm On The Move
Under the cover of darkness, boxes full of bees bump over dirt roads littered with tree fall rambutan. The trucks come to a halt deep in the heart of a tropical forest amid the cacophony of jungle night sounds. Footsteps and hard labor follow as the softly buzzing boxes are hoisted down from truck to forest floor. At sunrise, activated by the warmth of the sun, bees will wake from slumber and move forth to search for nectar in a strange new world - a rambutan plantation.
Big Tree Farms Bees was created to aid the development of traditional beekeepers on the island of Java by reintroducing historical varieties of honey; rambutan blossom, mango blossom, lychee blossom and others. Single varietals of raw honey were an important aspect of cultural heritage for many mountain populations throughout the 17,000 islands of Indonesia. The unique harvests were used in both ceremony and traditional medicine. Unfortunately, as with many traditional aspects of life here, this artisan gem was all but lost. Big Tree Farms Javanese Island Honey is the resurrection of this wonderful artisan gift. |
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Big Tree Farms Bees
Big Tree Farms operates just over 1,500 hives of bees for honey production on the tropical island of Java. The actual centers of production tend to focus on the regions surrounding the active volcanos, Merapi and Bromo… These fertile lands makes for incredibly healthy farms of mango, rambutan, coffee, lychee and avocado and in turn make for incredible single varietal honey. That is, unless the volcanoes decide otherwise…In 2005 the harvest of avocado honey was a 100% loss from flower fall and ash contamination after a minor “burp” slipped from the depths of Bromo…Every year we find ourselves on pins and needles as Merapi spits forth plumes of poisonous gas and lava… we just have to wait for the September bloom to see how the years crop of honey will fare.
There is never a dull moment in the Ring of Fire… |
The Purpose
Big Tree Farms Bees was created to aid the development of traditional beekeepers on the island of Java by reintroducing historical varieties of honey; rambutan blossom, mango blossom, lychee blossom and others. Single varietals of raw honey were an important aspect of cultural heritage for many mountain populations throughout the 17,000 islands of Indonesia. The unique harvests were used in both ceremony and traditional medicine. Unfortunately, as with many traditional aspects of life here, this artisan gem was all but lost. Big Tree Farms Javanese Island Honey is the resurrection of this wonderful artisan gift. |
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