Zand Farm

Join Bonnie Zand on a 1.5 hour walk around the airpark, learning about the diversity of native bees and other pollinators found on the native flowers present in the park. From fuzzy bumble bees to tiny sweat bees to buzzing bee mimicking hover flies, as long as the weather cooperates we will be able to see many examples of how flower diversity drives pollinator diversity, as well as examples of important habitat features for nesting and overwintering of our essential native pollinators.

Bonnie Zand is an RPBio based out of the Comox Valley. She works in the intersections of pollinators and agriculture, running an IPM consulting company and leading the Pollinators in Vancouver Island Agriculture Project. Bonnie is also a board member of the Native Bee Society of BC and is the BC instructor for the Master Melittologist Program. In her free time she plants for native bees, and raises goats, garlic and a seven year old on her hobby farm.”

for more information visit https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/event/native-bees-and-flower-walk


CV Land Trust & Conservation Partnership

Let's look at some bees!

Join Bonnie Zand on a 1.5 hour walk around the airpark, learning about the diversity of native bees and other pollinators found on the native flowers present in the park. From fuzzy bumble bees to tiny sweat bees to buzzing bee mimicking hover flies, as long as the weather cooperates we will be able to see many examples of how flower diversity drives pollinator diversity, as well as examples of important habitat features for nesting and overwintering of our essential native pollinators.

Bonnie Zand is an RPBio based out of the Comox Valley. She works in the intersections of pollinators and agriculture, running an IPM consulting company and leading the Pollinators in Vancouver Island Agriculture Project. Bonnie is also a board member of the Native Bee Society of BC and is the BC instructor for the Master Melittologist Program. In her free time she plants for native bees, and raises goats, garlic and a seven year old on her hobby farm.”

for more information visit https://comoxvalleynaturalist.bc.ca/event/native-bees-and-flower-walk


CV Land Trust & Conservation Partnership

Interested in learning to ID some of the many native bees found on Vancouver Island? I'm teaching a one day workshop in Nanaimo on May 19th through the Native Bee Society of BC. https://www.bcnativebees.org/event-details/bee-biology-and-identification-workshop

Send a message to learn more

Garlic and Honey! I put aside too much garlic for myself this year, so I have some of my Zand purple available for purchase! The core has started to turn green, but the bulbs are still flavourful and juicy. I'm selling it at $12/lb.
I've also jarred more honey!
1 lb for $14, 2 lbs for $25.
Pick up is by appointment at our driveway in F***y Bay!

I'll be presenting on Native Bees at 10:30 for the Qualicum Beach Seedy Saturday - hope to see you there!

The countdown is on to Seedy Saturday! The perfect way to kick off the gardening season by stocking up on seeds and plants, connecting with community organizations, and sharing excitement with other gardeners.

Please help us spread the word!

Zand Farm Honey is back! Two jar sizes: 1 lb for $14 or 2lbs for $25. Pickup is by appointment at the farm. I also still have some Zand Purple garlic @ $14/lb!

Free Kale! This lovely red Russian kale had to go to make space for planting garlic. Bring your own bag and take what you need. If you are able, consider making a donation to the food bank in lieu of payment.
At the gate at 8090 Macartney Drive.

If you are interested in Native Bees (and you know I am!) you may want to check out the AGM of the Native Bee Society of BC. I am a board member of this excellent organization.

🌟 Reminder that our AGM is coming up November 20th . 🌟

Renew your membership at our membership page in order to vote at the AGM.
https://www.bcnativebees.org/event-details/2023-agm...

Register at our event page here:
https://www.bcnativebees.org/event-details/2023-agm

Excited to see you there!

An organization that I am on the board of (Native Bee Society of BC) nominated one of the species in this calendar (the Western Bumble Bee), and will 1/12th of the profits of the calendar. It will make a great Christmas gift for a nature lover!

Curious about the native bees that help to pollinate our local fruits? Bonnie Zand will be speaking to the Comox Valley Bee Club on September 26 at 7 pm, at Dove Creek Hall about her Pollinators in Vancouver Island Agriculture project!
https://mailchi.mp/vifarmmonitoring/pollinators

Seed Garlic is ready!
Music: 4-5 bulbs per lb, 6-7 large cloves per bulb.
Zand Purple: 6-7 bulbs per lb, 7-9 cloves per bulb

Seed garlic is $20 / lb

Regular garlic also available for both varieties ($14 / lb)

Garlic is ready! Grown with organic practices and well cured for long term storage. We have two varieties, Music, a large porcelain garlic with extra large sized cloves, and Zand Purple, a rocambole garlic (similar to a red Russian) with medium sized cloves.
Eating garlic is currently avaialble at $14/lb, pick up at the farm on Macartney Drive (PM to arrange pickup).
Seed garlic also available, $20/lb

Garlic Scape Season! Pesto making time!

Happy World Bee Day! These are all bees I have documented on our farm and other Vancouver Island Farms!

The River Never Sleeps is today! And the sun is shining!

The next couple of weeks will be full of bees! Talking Native Bees to Oceanside Hive: A Beekeepers’ Collective on Thursday, and also on May 9th to the Qualicum Beach Garden Club. And, I'll be representing the Native Bee Society of BC at The River Never Sleeps Festival on May 7th. Come find me and chat bees!

Happy Earth Day! A good day for a native plant meadow and hedgerow photo update. Theses plants provide food and habitat to a huge number of bees, wasps, caterpillars, and other insects. Those insects then feed songbirds and other wildlife. And, it looks beautiful while doing so!

Who are the bees pollinating crops on Vancouver Island farms? I've been working on a project to find out! I'll have a table at the Coombs Seedy Sunday this weekend talking all about it and sharing a preliminary list. Learn more about the project here: https://mailchi.mp/vifarmmonitoring/pollinators

I'll be chatting about the good and the bad of garden bugs for the Nanoose Master Gardeners this Saturday!

Local Garlic! We still have some softneck and zand purple garlic. Cloves are showing a small amount of green inside, but bulbs are still firm, juicy, flavorful, and so much better than anything imported you can get at the grocery store! $13 / lb, pick up in F***y Bay.

I'm a pretty big native bee nerd (you may have noticed), and I'm also the BC instructor for this awesome program! Check out the info session next week.

BC Master Melittologist Info Session | NBSBC Learn how to learn more about native bees with the BC Master Melittologist Program!

I'll be talking about Gardening for Pollinators Thursday Feb 2 at the Baynes Sound Garden club! Hope to see some of you there.

Local garlic makes a great Christmas present! Grown using organic methods and available for pick up here in F***y Bay. $13 / lb

Garlic Garlic Garlic!
Music: a porclain type garlic, with few large cloves. My favorite for canning, roasting, and any recipies that call for lots of garlic. One clove of this is worth three cloves of another variety.
Zand Purple: a rocambole type garlic, with lovely purple streaking . 6-8 cloves per bulb, very flavorful.
Eating garlic: $13 / lb
Seed garlic: $18 / lb (only music available right now, Zand Purple seed coming soon)

I'll be at the F***y Bay Children's' Fair today, talking bees and bugs!

Garlic harvest is done! 998 bulbs, now hanging to dry.

A more or less accurate article on some of the work I do. Bee nerds, can you find the errors?

How farmers are helping survey native pollinators on Vancouver Island These pollinators are critical for growing food, but little is known about the native bee species supporting the island’s farmers.

Open house today! And there are so many things in bloom. Come on by the farm (8090 Macartney Drive) between 1 and 3 to see the pollinator plantings. Please, clean footwear and no dogs.