A few days ago we introduced you to the work of Frédérique and Envies d'Alsace.
Today it is the turn of her partner Théo to talk to us about his passion and his profession.
Okay, let's talk a little about beekeeping with Théo now.
-40 years of experience in honey, that must mean a lot of jars of honey! More seriously Théo, how did you become a beekeeper and what attracted you to beekeeping?
In the Tonnelier family, beekeeping is a family tradition; my grandfather, my father, and my older brother paved the way. My childhood memories are filled with the scent of honey and the buzzing of bees. After a long career in industry, where I no longer found motivation or meaning, I wanted to delve deeper into it. I was supposed to take over the business with Bernard, the eldest in the family, who unfortunately had to give it up due to a serious health issue. So, I took over the business and learned beekeeping by learning from other beekeepers who trained me in the field, and by reading extensively. Very quickly, passion took hold, and I'm still learning every day—and I'm not done yet.
-How many beehives do you manage?
I have about 300 colonies and produce with about 220 hives.
How many bees does that represent?
A lot! In peak season, a hive houses around 60.000 bees, so do the math. I admit I don't know them all, but generally speaking, I have a pretty good idea of each hive, which will be more or less strong, more or less gentle, have this or that type of queen, and so on.
"If there is one untamable animal, it is the bee!"
-What breed of bee are you working with today and why did you make that choice?
I have Buckfast bees, a line of bees selected by Brother Adam following a disease that decimated the local breed in England. He made several crosses between the local breed and queens of Italian origin to obtain a robust, fairly gentle, and good forager bee.
-In France, how many breeds of bees are considered 'domestic'?
It would be too long to be exhaustive, but it's important to know that the foundation of all so-called domestic bees is Apis mellifera. The local bee in France is Apis mellifera melifera, or the European dark bee, and even then, it varies slightly between the major regions. On some islands or sparsely populated areas, there are conservation efforts for the European dark bee, but in the Grand Est region, I think it's safe to say that it has disappeared in its pure, original genetic form. Then there are bees of Italian origin (Apis mellifera ligustica), Caucasian origin (Apis mellifera caucasica), Carniolan origin from southern Austria (Apis mellifera carnica), and the Buckfast, recognized as a distinct breed. And, as nature would have it, all these have been mixing for over a century, through human selection or simply through natural interbreeding.
Are they different from wild bees?
The honeybee (Apis melifera) has lived and still lives in the wild without human intervention, but there are a multitude of other bees and, more broadly, other pollinators. The honeybee remains the bee that harvests the most honey and creates the largest colonies. There are approximately 1000 species of bees in France (including the well-known bumblebees, with 34 species already). Most of these bees are solitary because they do not live in groups like the honeybee.
-Does Frédérique also participate in beekeeping and honey harvesting, or is that your world? I believe I know that bees and Frédérique have not always had an easy relationship.
This year, Frédérique has been coming with me to the apiaries more often and is a very valuable help. She's even enjoying it more and more and will soon be earning her beekeeping badge. She has gradually overcome her apprehensions and is starting to tolerate the stings. My daughters also like to come to the hives with me when they visit.
-Frédérique and you have just won two medals at the Concours Général Agricole during the Paris agricultural show.
A gold medal for flower honey and a silver medal for acacia honey.
That's a fantastic award. How did you work on this product, and what criteria were required to receive such an honor?
Last year, we were awarded both medals, and this year, in February 2020, our chestnut honey received the gold medal. Honey is a natural product that isn't processed, but it must meet several criteria, such as those for the PGI label: color, taste, density, and moisture content. I take every precaution during harvesting and storage to maintain the honey in optimal conditions; nature does the rest!
-What do these medals bring? More media coverage? More recognition in the world of beekeeping? More sales?
It is above all a recognition of the work done well, the management of the hives, the maintenance of the livestock, the strategic choices that I have to make to successfully complete the season.
The work of a beekeeper must be first and foremost a passion, otherwise it is not sustainable; you must show selflessness because even if you work a lot, take all precautions to ensure that your bees are in perfect condition; the weather can be capricious and in one fell swoop can wipe out an entire harvest.
Obviously, customers are more drawn to a product with an award, so it has a greater impact on sales. When chestnut honey enthusiasts buy a jar of honey with the medal, it reinforces their choice even further. The medal will serve as a promotional tool for the product.
Have Envies d'Alsace and Le Rucher seen any changes since these awards?
I think so, but people looking for honey are primarily looking for quality, locally sourced honey. I opted for the PGI label precisely to confirm that our honey is of local origin and meets the criteria outlined in a strict set of specifications. This gives me credibility with customers and provides them with assurance and confirmation of a quality honey.
-How many types of honey do you offer your customers?
I have a range of 7 different blends (Acacia, Chestnut, Creamy Flowers, Liquid Flowers, Forest, Fir and Linden)
-How do you get fir or acacia honey? You can't tell the bees to go to a certain type of tree on a certain day, so I suppose you place your hives according to what you want to harvest.
You must therefore know the Villé valley and its flora very well.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
If there's one untamable creature, it's the bee! Honey production is seasonal. The season begins with wildflower honey in April; I have hives placed in the meadows and hedgerows of the valley. I harvest it and carefully monitor nature's progress, which is happening earlier and earlier. As soon as I see the acacia trees budding, I move them to new locations near the acacia trees. Chestnut trees will then take over, alongside the linden trees, followed by the forest, and finally, with the slimmest of chances, the fir trees, which are sadly becoming increasingly rare. The beekeeper must be a keen observer of the flora, the weather and the condition of his hives if he does not want to miss out on a harvest… I, on the other hand, have chosen to transhume locally within a maximum radius of 25km around my home and on 'small' apiaries of about 24 hives.
-Does the lockdown of populations have any benefits for bees? Have you noticed any positive changes for your worker bees since our emissions and activities have been greatly reduced?
I don't believe there has been any direct change affecting the bees. The season is off to a very good start compared to last year, but this is largely due to the weather this winter and spring. As for agriculture, the valley is fortunately spared from intensive farming, and during the lockdown, farmers (thankfully) continued their work. However, travel between the apiaries was much easier because there was far less traffic, and the peace and quiet in the apiaries was especially appreciated. Even though my apiaries are in the heart of nature, the noise of human activity still travels through them (cars, motorcycles, planes, and all kinds of motorized vehicles).
-I almost forgot!!! Organic farming or not?
I produce honey that isn't certified organic because I've opted for the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) label. I work in apiaries protected from pollution. Fortunately, in the Villée Valley, we aren't (too) polluted. As I mentioned earlier, the PGI specifications are very strict; my honey is analyzed and validated annually by an independent laboratory. People don't necessarily demand organic honey, and I explain my local, artisanal beekeeping practices to them at length, which completely reassures them.
-How are we coping with this very complicated period that we have been going through for several weeks?
The bees continue to forage, but what about sales?
Frédérique and I chose to have several distribution channels for our honey: direct sales, local markets, and a few retailers who prioritized small producers. Due to the current situation, these stores sold the most during the Covid-19 crisis and regularly ordered honey from us. Individuals weren't able to travel as they pleased. Sales did decrease, although some continued to buy from us while strictly adhering to safety measures. We're eagerly awaiting the reopening of the Villé market and the summer farmers' markets so we can reconnect with people socially.
-How and where can I buy your products in the valley?
We can arrange this at your home in Breitenau by calling us beforehand or online. www.//envies-alsace.fr.
Our honey is also available at several shops in the Valley. We sincerely hope to be back selling directly at markets and summer events soon, and hopefully at our own small shop as well.
Frédérique, Théo, we thank you for the time you have given us.
We hope that you, like all of us, will be able to regain a balanced life by being safe from this virus as quickly as possible.
Good luck and see you soon.