Posts Tagged: Woodland

California Honey Festival: The Place to 'Bee' on May 6

The California Honey Festival is the place to "bee" on Saturday, May 6 in downtown Woodland. The festival, free and family friendly, takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The event celebrates the importance of bees, and promotes honey and...

Amina Harris, director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, and co-founder of the California Honey Festival, talks about honey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Amina Harris, director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, and co-founder of the California Honey Festival, talks about honey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, dresses as a bee at the California Honey Festival. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program, dresses as a bee at the California Honey Festival. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The annual California Honey Festival draws an average of 40,000 people. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The annual California Honey Festival draws an average of 40,000 people. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Nature Day Celebration: Pride of Madeira, Pride of The Hive

If you've recently visited the pollinator gardens at The Hive, a family business owned by Z Specialty Food, 1221 Harter Way, Woodland, you've seen the spectacular Pride of Madeira, Echium candicans. Now another "pride" awaits. Z Specialty...

"Queen Bee" Amina Harris of Z Specialty Food is also the executive director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

"Queen Bee" Amina Harris of Z Specialty Food is also the executive director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Josh Zeldner, nectar director at Z Specialty Food, stands by the bee-themed conference table. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Josh Zeldner, nectar director at Z Specialty Food, stands by the bee-themed conference table. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Liz Luu, formerly of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, serves as the marketing manager and the tasting room manager. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Liz Luu, formerly of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, serves as the marketing manager and the tasting room manager. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A wide-angle of The Hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A wide-angle of The Hive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This honey bee appears to be giving a "high five" of approval as it forages on the Pride of Madeira. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This honey bee appears to be giving a "high five" of approval as it forages on the Pride of Madeira. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Taste of Honey--and a Sip of Mead!

You may associate “tasting room” with wine in the Napa Valley, or olive oil in Fairfield, but now there's a tasting room in Woodland to sample honey and mead (honey wine).  That's Z Specialty Food's newly constructed The HIVE, located...

The newly constructed HIVE, owned by Z Specialty Food, Woodland. (Photo by Elizabeth Luu)

The newly constructed HIVE, owned by Z Specialty Food, Woodland. (Photo by Elizabeth Luu)

Napa Valley has its wine tasting rooms, but Northern California now as a honey and mead (honey wine) tasting room at The HIVE, Woodland. (Photo by Elizabeth Luu)

Napa Valley has its wine tasting rooms, but Northern California now as a honey and mead (honey wine) tasting room at The HIVE, Woodland. (Photo by Elizabeth Luu)

Amina Harris, the self-described "Queen Bee" of her family-owned Z Specialty Food, is photographed in the tasting room of The HIVE.

Amina Harris, the self-described "Queen Bee" of her family-owned Z Specialty Food, is photographed in the tasting room of The HIVE.

Another Casualty of the Coronavirus Pandemic: California Honey Festival

Another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic: the annual California Honey Festival, which was scheduled May 2 in historic downtown Woodland. This year would have been the fourth annual. But, of course, and rightfully so, the cancellation is for our...

Miss Honey Bee (Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program) waves at the crowd at the 2019 California Honey Festival, while a curious youngster wonders what this is all about. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Miss Honey Bee (Wendy Mather, program manager of the California Master Beekeeper Program) waves at the crowd at the 2019 California Honey Festival, while a curious youngster wonders what this is all about. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey tasting, compliments of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, is a popular activity at the California Honey Festival, but that will have to wait until next year. Third from left is Amina Harris, director of UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center. In the middle is beekeeper Sharon Schmidt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey tasting, compliments of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, is a popular activity at the California Honey Festival, but that will have to wait until next year. Third from left is Amina Harris, director of UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center. In the middle is beekeeper Sharon Schmidt. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Z Specialty Foods of Woodland kept busy at the first three California Honey Festivals. Now the company is offering honey "care packages." The family of Amina Harris, director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, owns and operates the business. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Z Specialty Foods of Woodland kept busy at the first three California Honey Festivals. Now the company is offering honey "care packages." The family of Amina Harris, director of the UC Davis Honey and Pollination Center, owns and operates the business. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño, shown here with a bee frame at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, is a key part of the California Honey Festival. This year's event is cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño, shown here with a bee frame at the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility, UC Davis, is a key part of the California Honey Festival. This year's event is cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Bee Tent at the California Honey Festival Was All the Buzz

If you attended the second annual California Honey Festival, held recently in downtown Woodland, you probably heard the buzz. Or at least you saw the crowd circling Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño of the UC Davis Department of...

Large crowds gathered around Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño as she opened a bee hive at the California Honey Festival and talked about bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Large crowds gathered around Extension apiculturist Elina Lastro Niño as she opened a bee hive at the California Honey Festival and talked about bees. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Festival-goers marveled at Elina Lastro Niño's live bee demonstration. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Festival-goers marveled at Elina Lastro Niño's live bee demonstration. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

With the hive open in the foreground, Elina Lastro Niño talks to festival-goers. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

With the hive open in the foreground, Elina Lastro Niño talks to festival-goers. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

California Honey Festival attendees got this view, as Elina Lastro Niño held out a frame. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

California Honey Festival attendees got this view, as Elina Lastro Niño held out a frame. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Expressions ranged from awestruck to delight to excitement as a drone was passed around. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Expressions ranged from awestruck to delight to excitement as a drone was passed around. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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