In another African country I found more people hungering to be taught the word of the Lord. The day we arrived there was a government crackdown on transportation because there was no fuel. The stake president was sure that the 700 members who had planned on attending our fireside would have no way to get there. We assured him we would teach as many or as few as could come. When we walked into the arranged room 20 minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting and saw more than 300 reverent Saints assembled, quietly listening to hymns being played on a recorder, I was overcome by the Spirit. During the course of the meeting, somehow, by some miracle, 300 more people arrived. They were hungry for the words of the Lord. They all had their scriptures and followed along eagerly as we taught them from the standard works. Because of their examples I saw with new eyes my own need for improvement. Perhaps many of us set our hearts too much upon worldly treasures. I wonder if we have grown casual or complacent in studying the word and living the doctrine.
More Than Honey ( Full Download )
the preaching of the word had a . . . more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, . . . therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God. [Alma 31:5]
Sometimes the exact words from the scriptures forcefully answer our prayers. Reading the scriptures also opens our minds and hearts to thoughts prompted by the Spirit. We are much more apt to receive such help if we go to the scriptures seeking, desiring, and asking.
Sweeter than sugar and with twice the nutritional profile - could honey be the ultimate alternative to table sugar? Registered nutritionist, Jo Lewin explores the highs and lows of this popular porridge topper...
Referred to in ancient writings, honey has long been used for both nutrition and medicinal healing. For centuries, honey was used to pay homage to the gods and help embalm the dead, as well as for medical and cosmetic purposes. Nowadays it is a popular, versatile sweetener that can be used instead of white cane sugar in baking, sauces and hot drinks. It works well in moist, dense, full-flavoured bakes. It is sweeter than sugar, so you'll need to use less and because honey is liquid, you'll need less fluid in the recipe. It caramelises quicker than normal sugar and gives a darker finish to your bake. It is most often sold pasteurised, although you can find raw honey. As a rule, the darker the colour, the stronger the flavour. It may solidify at room temperature, but you can remedy this by gently heating the jar in warm water. For tips on using honey in cooking take a look at our sugar-free baking guide.
Honey is made up of fructose (40%), glucose (30%), water and minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Due to the high level of fructose, honey is sweeter than table sugar. Honey is a high carbohydrate food and has a GI value of 55 (moderate range). Some varieties of honey have a lower GI however, because of fluctuating fructose levels (the more fructose, the lower the GI). Honey is still high in calories and causes increases in blood sugar.
The health benefits of honey depend on its processing as well as the quality of the flowers the bees collect pollen from. Raw honey is honey that has not been heated, pasteurised, clarified or filtered in any way, and this form typically retains more of the health promoting nutrients that can be lost to the standard processing methods.
But every year, our honeyed friends are facing more adversity. From colony collapse disorder, lethal pesticide exposure, and this year, massive hive and environment destruction from the bushfires. In fact, last year was one of the worst on record for professional beekeepers, as the lack of water, the scarcity of plants, and over 4 million acres of beekeeping country destroyed by fire has resulted in not only massive loss of bees, but a sharp decline in honey production.
The European honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Figure 1), is the most common pollinator of blueberries in Florida. This bee, as its name suggests, is not native to the United States but rather to Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. In addition to managed colonies, which can be rented during bloom, feral colonies are widespread throughout Florida and can contribute to pollination. However, certain foraging behaviors of honey bees can make them less effective pollinators for blueberries. For instance, workers generally collect nectar but not pollen from blueberry flowers, and will sometimes "rob" nectar through slits in the petals, minimizing contact with the flower's anthers and stigmas required for successful pollination. More visits by nectar-robbing honey bees may thus be necessary to deposit an adequate amount of pollen as compared to other pollinators that make full contact with the flower's reproductive parts. Despite these behaviors, due to their high abundance in blueberry fields, honey bees can significantly increase pollination and fruit set (Sampson et al. 2004).
There are five species of social bumble bees (Bombus spp.) native to Florida (Figure 2), all of which can pollinate blueberry flowers. Bumble bees have annual colonies, with new queens initiating colony development and foraging for nectar and pollen in late winter/early spring coinciding with blueberry bloom. Workers are produced by colonies later in the season and are thus less likely to be found on blueberry blossoms. Bumble bees are more efficient pollinators of blueberry flowers than honey bees due to their ability to increase pollen shed through sonication (vibrating the flower by rapid wing movement), a phenomenon called "buzz pollination" (Thorpe 2000). They also actively collect blueberry pollen, deposit more pollen on the blueberry stigma per visit, and visit more flowers per period of time than do honey bees (Strubbs and Drummond 2001). Studies have shown that four visits by a honey bee are required to deposit the same amount of pollen as a queen bumble bee, and bumble bees can pollinate up to 6 flowers in the time it takes honey bees to pollinate one flower (Javorek et al. 2002). In addition, bumble bees are more active than honey bees during poor weather conditions (Tuell and Isaacs 2010).
There are two species of large carpenter bees native to Florida, Xylocopa virginica (black with yellow hairs) (Figure 4) and Xylocopa micans (all black or dark blue), both of which can be found on blueberry blossoms. These carpenter bees also resemble bumble bees but can be distinguished from them by their shiny, relatively hairless abdomens. They are solitary and nest above ground in wood tunnels that they excavate. Unlike bumble bees or the southeastern blueberry bee, carpenter bees are not particularly good pollinators for blueberries. Carpenter bees, like honey bees, rob nectar from blueberries by creating a slit in the petals, thereby avoiding contact with the flower's reproductive parts. However, studies have found that this behavior can still pollinate blueberry flowers (although to a lesser degree) (Sampson et al. 2004). Furthermore, these slits could encourage subsequent visits by honey bees, which additionally contribute to pollination, although again, to a lesser degree (Sampson et al. 2004).
Even with the recommended number of bees, pollination problems can occur if bees do not effectively pollinate blueberry flowers. Ineffective pollination can occur under two general scenarios: 1) bees that are present on the farm or in the area are not visiting blueberry flowers, or 2) bees are visiting blueberry flowers but not effectively causing pollen release or depositing pollen. Under the first scenario, bees may not forage on blueberries if there are alternative, more attractive floral resources in the region. Large-bodied social bees, including honey bees and bumble bees, can forage over a mile from the colony and will visit a variety of plants. Under the second scenario, certain bees, including honey bees and carpenter bees, may frequently visit blueberry flowers, but because they do not buzz pollinate, they are not as effective in stimulating pollen release. Furthermore, they frequently "rob" nectar from the flower without depositing large quantities of pollen. Visits by inefficient pollinators can still contribute to pollination, but a greater number of visits is required to achieve high fruit set and quality. Therefore, a greater number of ineffective pollinators is required to obtain the same yields as a smaller number of effective pollinators.
Poor weather conditions can interact with plants and pollinators to cause pollination problems. In cloudy, cool, or rainy weather, bees may not forage. This is especially true for honey bees, while bumble bees are more active under cool conditions. Additionally, under high humidity flowers may not shed pollen as readily, making them more dependent on buzz pollination for pollen release (Lyrene and Williamson 2003). Under these high-humidity conditions, buzz pollinators, including bumble bees and the southeastern blueberry bee, may be especially necessary to stimulate pollen release.
There must be sufficient pollinators in the field to achieve good pollination. Current recommendations for the number of honey bees range from 3 to 5 hives per acre for a standard density planting (approximately 1,700 plants per acre). The recommendations will increase for high-density plantings. In addition, if the weather is very warm and causes a more concentrated bloom or if it is cold, cloudy, or windy and not conducive to honey bee activity, or if there are other flowering crops or wild plants blooming at the same time as SHB, a greater number of bees may be required for sufficient pollination. Alternatively, if there are significant numbers of wild pollinators in the field, including bumble bees or the southeastern blueberry bee, fewer honey bee colonies may be needed. All of these factors should be considered when determining the number of honey bee hives required. 2ff7e9595c
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