Yesterday, Sheldon and I had a conference call with Stuart Anderson and the Flow Hive team. Stuart is the founder and owner of Flow Hive https://www.honeyflow.com and their operations are in Australia.
The Flow Hive crowd funding was launched in 2015, and Sweet Pure Honey were founding supporters. The Flow Hive has inspired thousands of new beekeepers around the world with over 48,000 customers in 130 countries and roused many to look after pollinators. Flow Hive even won the 2016 Good Design Award, Australia’s most prestigious prize for design. At Flow, they strive to follow in the footsteps of doing business in an ethical and sustainable manner, whilst also creating a positive impact on big picture conservation and community outreach programs.
We feel the same way and Sheldon donated one of our Flow Hives to Neubauer Farms, a local farm in our community that provides Agriculture Education through Growing Minds. https://www.agriculturemorethanever.ca/from-the-community/ag-adventures-at-neubauer-farms/#.Wl-deK2ZPfY Neubauer Farms provides unique, hands-on learning opportunities for children to learn about where their food comes from. A portion of all our sweet clover honey harvested from our flow hives – https://www.sweetpurehoney.ca/shop/raw-honey-products/1-kg-sweet-clover-raw-honey-harvested-from-flow-hives-no-tax-detail will go directly to supporting Nichole Neubauer’s new Bee Aware AG out reach program in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Sweet Pure Honey is proud to sponsor new innovative ideas that educate young consumers about all aspects of healthy food.
Speaking of healthy food, one of the concerns expressed by several messages from clients and those new to Flow Hive are concerns over the safety of using plastic frames. Some beekeepers
are refraining from using flow hives because flow frame is made from plastic. Yes this is true Flow frames are made from BPA free plastic, and is not manufactured with Bisphenol-S or any other bisphenol compounds.
https://www.honeyflow.com/faqs/all/are-the-flow-frames-made-from-bpa-free-plastic/p/57
The entire flow frame is covered in beeswax added by the bees and ends up coating the entire surface of the blade. The blades in our Flow Frames form partial honeycomb cells. The bees “complete” these cells by joining the gaps and drawing the comb out, then coat the entire cell with wax. Have look for yourself.
Light microscope images of Flow Frame honeycomb cells (x7 magnification) (a) ‘clean’ unused Flow Frame with partially formed honeycomb cells; (b) & (c) top surface of a used Flow frame showing honeycomb cells fully drawn with wax (b) and gaps filled with wax/propolis (c); (d) Single row of fully-drawn honeycomb cells from a Flow frame, note wax lining sides of cells; (e) and (f) Surface of a single Flow blade from a used Flow Frame showing wax added by the bees coating the entire surface of the blade.
You can read the top 3 reasons to against flow hive here https://www.honeycolony.com/article/against-flow-hive One concern expressed is that beekeepers and bees will no longer be commincating and interacting together. Even with harvesting our honey from the flow hives, Sheldon is still interacting with the bees.
Flow Hives are harvest boxes only, Bees do not brood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brood_(honey_bee) in the boxes. Beekeepers still have to observe their brood supers in order to watch for pests and monitor over all health of the hive.
I just wanted to address the concerns directly and encourage you to go to the sources and the actual beekeepers using the flow hives.
We have also been asked if we can sell the flow hives and if you can buy them directly from us. Flow Hive will give us a coupon code with a discount for clients wishing to purchase through us. Sheldon is also offering flow hive consulting and you can email us directly for quotes and the coupon code to purchase your very own Flow Hive.
We are anxiously awaiting the release of our flow video filmed at the farm in July. Cant wait to share it with you! Stella – 403.594.4254 purehoney@sasktel.net
