The Gull Lake Honey Company

06/11/2026

Make honey while the sun shines!

Isn’t that how the saying goes? Well, whether it’s Honey or Hay, the fact is that we need sunshine in order to make it. And lately, it seems we aren’t seeing enough of it.

Bees don’t fly in the rain. They also can’t fly properly in the wind. So regardless of how many flowers there are out there, if the bees can’t fly, they don’t make honey. In fact, they end up consuming their honey reserves, and at this time of year, with a growing population, that can mean that our hives start going backwards, and fast. We can even lose hives to starvation if we don’t monitor them closely and supplement them as needed with extra honey frames or even sugar syrup to tide them over.

The other factor is that the queen will only lay eggs according to the availability of feed (nectar and pollen) coming into the hives. If the weather prevents the bees from foraging, the queen slows down her laying, which again, can cause the hive population to go backwards.

After extended periods of wet windy weather, the hives are stressed & cranky. It also means that the crops in the field have a higher likelihood of needing to be sprayed with fungicides and herbicides. So when we do see a break in the weather, the bees will be out flying like crazy, and although these sprays don’t kill the bees (unlike a pesticide), they are an added stressor to the bees at an already critical time.

So let’s send a little prayer for the bees, and for sunny skies, no wind, and an average temperature of 22-26 degrees… (it can rain at night when the bees are in bed).
Thanks!

06/10/2026

School is almost done for the year! And you know what that means? It’s time to say “Thank You!” to all of those that helped our kiddos grow, learn, explore and Bee themselves :)

Our farm shop is full of wonderful items, big and small, to help you say Thank you, and We are open 9-5, Monday to Saturday.

06/09/2026

Think about volunteering :)

Good afternoon,

We are excited to announce that we are preparing for R&R Week, taking place from June 28, 2026, to July 3, 2026.
We are currently seeking volunteers to help make this special week a success. Specifically, we are looking for:
• Camp counsellors
• Cooks
• A nurse

The campers are incredibly excited to return, and we are hopeful that with your support, we can run R&R Week again this year.
We would greatly appreciate it if you could help spread the word. If you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering, please apply using the link provided below: https://rcmflourish.ca/camp/volunteers/

Thank you for serving at camp

06/06/2026

Are you a feather fanatic like me?

Well you are in luck, because our beautiful pheasants are starting to moult, which means hundreds of gorgeous feathers to collect and enjoy!

I’ve made bouquets with them, added them to artwork and other home decor, made jewelry - the options are endless.

Available while supplies last!

06/02/2026

Our neighbour is hiring!

I spent over 20 years as a volunteer at Rehoboth camp (it’s one of the reasons we settled back here at the farm), and I can say from experience that this place is special.

Don’t miss this awesome job opportunity, or better yet, think about volunteering for a week at camp- I guarantee it will change your life!

We are hiring at camp! Apply using the link below.

https://rcmflourish.ca/current-jobs/camp-rehoboth-seasonal-maintenance-worker-camp-rehoboth-gull-lake/

http://rcmflourish.ca/current-jobs/camp-rehoboth-seasonal-maintenance-worker-camp-rehoboth-gull-lake-2/

06/01/2026

I so appreciate having an active and involved county councillor that does the work, meets with residents, brings forward concerns, and wants to see this area grow and flourish :)

Thanks Roger Van Haren for Lacombe County Division Five for your hard work!

- May 2026 Council Review -

In the month of May I attended the following meetings –
Alberta Christian Leadership Summit
Lacombe Regional Tourism
Central Alberta Synergy
County Council (2x)
Council Media Training
Lacombe Library Board

It was also good to meet with several residents about local issues and continue to take calls and emails about concerns in our area.

A few items of interest this month.

Late in April a resident south of Aspelund Road reached out with concerns about traffic incidents happening at the intersection of RR 28-0 and Aspelund. I met the resident on May 1 at the location in question. We noted the concerns and made plans for improvements. In less than three weeks administration was able to put up hidden intersection signs, brush a few trees out for visibility, and put a speed-reading sign in the area. We are continuing to look for other improvements along this stretch. Aspelund Road is the busiest road operated by Lacombe County, please drive carefully when travelling in this area!

Last fall I made an inquiry about the speed limits on Spruceville road (Rng Rd 27-4.) This is the longest stretch of 80km/hr pavement in the county and I was wondering if it is possible for it to be increased to a higher speed. I was informed that our speed control bylaw is reviewed each May. This month before the review, my six year old son and I door knocked all 23 residents along the 13km stretch. We chatted with those who were home and left a note in the door for those who were away and, in the end, heard back from 15 separate families who live on this road. There was a over 80% support in the north four miles to raise the limit, on the south four miles it was about 50% each for raise or remain at 80km/hr. On May 28 I took these findings to council, and it was voted 6-1 in favour to raise the north 4 miles of Spruceville road from 80km/hr to 90km/hr, the signs should go up in a couple of weeks. Look for a bit of traffic enforcement happening in this area this spring.

Finally, the county received a report this month on 2025 Municipal Indicators from the Province of Alberta. Lacombe County is debt free with $80-90 million in the bank, so it passed with flying colours. One area noted though was population decline. It was estimated that the county population declined by 0.28% last year. I brought this forward as a concern, and it was noted that the population of Lacombe County has not grown in the last 25 years. I hope to continue to focus on this when I can and support growth in our county going forward.

I look forward to a busy June with several tours, meetings, and the farm safety school day!

Roger

05/15/2026

Our first market of the season is this Saturday at the Bentley Farmers' Market!
Open from 2-4, it’s going to be a great start to the season!

05/09/2026

Garage sale and Market day!

Come on down to the honey farm!!

Running from 10am-4pm.

05/07/2026

Meet Scott & Tedd, the newest and shaggiest residents here at the Honey Farm!

These 2 boys are a little shy, but I have no doubt that after a little bit of time and lots of treats, they will soon learn to love all the attention :)

Looking forward to a summer full of little highland moos!

04/25/2026

Another new product in store!

Country Girl Creations just dropped off beeswax food wraps as well as beeswax bread bags!
Wraps come in a set of 3, with a few sizing options, and bread bags are all 11”x16”.
$32 each

Supplies are limited, so come check them out !

Store is open 9-5 (even In this lovely spring weather).