Persimmons & Honey Saturday, November 12, 2011 10:00 am – 2:00 pm This holiday season, we’ll be sharing samples from our neighbors - Otow Orchards, Rickey Ranch and Source Tapas Otow Orchard is renowned for their Japanese art of hoshigaki -- hoshi means dried and gaki is from kaki, the Japanese word for persimmon. Each October, their persimmons are hand-peeled, strung onto a rack, and massaged every 3 to 5 days for several weeks. The result is a moist, sugary, comforting delicacy. The 165-acres off Cavitt Stallman is home to Rickey Ranch. There are acres of vineyards, fruit trees, pumpkins, gourds, a large garden, and best of all honey bees! They will be bringing their locally produced

There are only a few people the city turns to in the thick of bee-swarming season. Three guys are on a very short list of who to call when honeybee colonies seem to appear out of nowhere. They're like the Ghost Busters of the local bee world. They get called to quickly go solve a problem that scares a lot of people. They may use strange-looking, jury-rigged tools. Some dress in the white jumpsuits worn by many beekeepers. One of them — bee catcher Brian Fishback — said they even roll out like New York's fictional spook collectors. "It's like a fire call. We're off and rolling," he said. These beekeepers are equipped to handle swarm calls and more. They're professionals who use an array

 The world’s most popular reggae singer came to Sacramento Sunday and played a show in front of 4,000 ecstatic fans.   This, in and of itself, doesn't seem like it would be all that noteworthy.  Big stars play shows in Sacramento, if not all the time, at least semi-frequently.  I mean, John Mayer is coming to the Sleep Train Amphitheater in August, right?  And Carrie Underwood is coming to Arco in a couple of weeks.   But Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae artist whose album, "Bright Side of Life," has been at the top of Billboard’s reggae charts for six weeks, didn't play at Arco for $45 a seat, or Raley Field for 35 bucks a pop, or even Harlow's for 18 a ducat.  He played for free, on the

Among many local beekeepers, Nancy Stewart is the queen bee, and her shop, Sacramento Beekeeping Supplies, is the hive. Stewart has spent a quarter of a century selling bees, local honey and all sorts of equipment needed to raise Apis mellifera ligustica in Sacramento backyards. And she has dispensed plenty of advice, starting with the fact that Sacramento city regulations allow two hives on any size lot. Now 72, Stewart gets help at the shop, 2110 X St., from her daughters, Pam Hill and Donna Stewart, and her retired husband Fred — an operation Brian Fishback, president of the Sacramento Area Beekeepers Association, compared to a colony of honeybees. "The workers all have the same goa

Kenneth Haff, President of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA) sweeps a glance around the full event room at Hilton Sacramento Arden West and smiles. He is pleased with the turnout for AHPA’s 41st Annual National Convention, a three-day event hosting speakers and vendors from all across the country.   This is the second year Sacramento has served as the convention’s host city. Haff estimated that around 600 people registered for the convention, and about 37 vendors. Seminars included “The Honey Revolution – Restoring the Health of Future Generations” with Dr. Ron Fessenden of Colorado and The Sierra Club’s “Working to Protect Pollinators” with Dr. Neil Carman of Texas, to nam

If you are like many Sacramentans, right about this time of the year you get a runny nose, begin to sneeze, and have a lot of chest mucus. These symptoms are part of your immune system's reaction to allergens, also known as allergies. But did you know that besides taking traditional medicine for allergies, there might be another supplement that can help alleviate your symptoms? It's honey — specifically, wildflower honey — and it can do much more than just help your allergies. Sacramento Press caught up with local bee farmer and honey producer Britt Floyd, and he spoke in an email interview about why buying his honey at the Southside Park Farmers Market might help one's allergies, beekeep