About
G & M Family Farm Ltd. is dedicated to producing sustainable and unique agricultural products to the province of NL. Our mission is to provide our customers with the highest quality product possible. At G & M Family Farm we offer all of the supplies and equipment required to start a honey bee operation; this includes bees, hives, accessories, clothing, and tools.
G & M Family Farm is owned and operated by the Smith family on property that has been farmed for upwards of 80 years. The Farm is managed based on sound principles of conserving natural resources, growing, hiring and eating locally-grown and chemical-free foods; as well as providing unique products. The Farm was created to meet the growing needs of the NL population who share these same views and are concerned about what they eat and feed their children, as well as ways to help the environment.
G & M Family Farm is owned and operated by the Smith family on property that has been farmed for upwards of 80 years. The Farm is managed based on sound principles of conserving natural resources, growing, hiring and eating locally-grown and chemical-free foods; as well as providing unique products. The Farm was created to meet the growing needs of the NL population who share these same views and are concerned about what they eat and feed their children, as well as ways to help the environment.
Instrumental insemination
Gerard was recently trained on advanced techniques of instrumental insemination. This is the process of inseminating virgin queens with harvested drone semen. Using instrumental insemination allows you to take drones and queens from colonies with positive traits (docile, resistant to cold climates etc) and combine these traits to create an overall superior bee. Through the use of instrumental insemination G & M Family Farm expects to double its yearly nucleus colony output.
overwintering storage room
In the fall of 2015 we developed a small temperature controlled room for holding live bee's over the winter. This room was successful at maintaining 100% of our colonies through the harsh winter. This allowed us to start the season with numerous strong colonies. In the Fall of 2016 G & M began to design a larger version of this overwintering room, it's expected to be completed by the end of February 2017 and will be able to house hundreds of colonies.
Beekeeping in Newfoundland
Newfoundland has a unique status in the apiculture sector in that we have to deal with low temperatures, high humidity, high winds, and large amounts of rain and snow. NL has a lot of environmental challenges to consider when developing honey bee colonies. However, we are fortunate to be free of most major diseases and pests that plague most apiculture operations worldwide. If you can properly prepare your colonies to survive the harsh seasons and protect them from pests, your colony will have a strong chance of survival.
