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APRIL 3, 2010 - FARMER'S MARKETS LOCATIONS

TOMORROW, APRIL 3, 2010 ROUND ROCK HONEY WILL BE AT THE FOLLOWING FARMER'S MARKETS:

AUSTIN:

CEDAR PARK FARMER'S MARKET,  9AM-1PM, NEAR INTERSECTION OF 1431 AND 183A

AUSTIN FARMER'S MARKET, 9AM-1PM, 4TH AND GUADALUPE, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

AUSTIN FARMER'S MARKET AT SUNSET VALLEY, 9AM-1PM, PILLOW ROAD

BARTON CREEK FARMER'S MARKET, BARTON CREEK MALL ACROSS FROM DILLARD'S

DALLAS:

Dallas Farmer's Market – 10-3 pm Every Saturday and most Sundays 12-4

McKinney Farmer's Market at Chestnut Square – Every Saturday 8-12 pm

McKinney Farmers Market at Adriatica - 1-5 pm Every Thursday.

Coppell Farmer's Market – 8-12 pm. Winter Market dates are as follows: 3/20.

Grand Prairie Farmers Market - Every Saturday from 8-12pm.

Four Seasons Market at Firewheel Town Center - 9-2 pm every Saturday.

Arlington Farmers Market - Open Fridays and Saturdays 8-12pm starting March 19&20, 2010.

Keller Farmers Market - Open every Saturday 8-1pm starting April 10, 2010.

Round Rock Honey Now on Facebook

I finally decided to open a Round Rock Honey Facebook page.  I have been on Facebook for a long time, but I never realized how affective the site can be for businesses.  After the Cedar Park Farmer's Market got 1800+ people to sign up as fans on their page, and then those fans then showed up in droves at their Saturday market, I realized that it might be a good idea to go ahead and create a page for Round Rock Honey. 

The benefit to fans of Round Rock Honey of our new Facebook presence is more photos, more of an inside look at operations, occasional special offers, and invitations to participate in special events.

Log onto to http://www.facebook.com/ and search for the Round Rock Honey page.  So far we're up to 222 fans!  It's only been 36 hours!  Won't you be 223?

Big Bee Removal!!!

This weekend students of the Round Rock Honey Beekeeping Class removed a very large colony of bees from the ceiling of a home in south Austin.  Bee Removal is one of the major topics covered in the class; it teaches beekeepers how to find and secure free bees, and provides a valuable service to area homeowners who find themselves suddenly overrun with bees.

This bee removal was very difficult due to the size of the hive, and because the bees were extraordinarily aggressive.   Thanks to KEYE-TV, News8Austin, and the Austin American-Statesman, you can see for yourself what it was like.  Pictures and video links are here:

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=269656

http://weareaustin.com/media_player.php?media_id=80721.

Even though this was a truly difficult bee removal, eventually all bees were captured, put into hive boxes, and placed in a bee yard in West Round Rock.

The The process of removing the bees started with cuting a hole in the wall right behind where the bees were noticed entering and exiting the wall.  When bees were not found there, a rectangular cut was made in the ceiling.  WIth the very first cut the bees came swarming out. It was clear the bees were not going to leave without putting up a fight.

After cutting out part of the ceiling, a vacuum was used to pull out the top layer of bees, which are usually the most aggressive ones.  The filter in the vacuum was removed so that the bees could be captured in the belly of the vacuum to be placed in a wooden hive box outside. (see below)

This is a section of brood from the heart of the hive.

By the end I was very tired!

Fifteen Minutes

ANNOUNCEMENT:
Still waiting on your ‘fifteen minutes” of fame?  Round Rock Honey is going to be filming short vignette-style customer interviews for a series of television and internet-based commercials to be aired later this Spring.  If you are a fan of Round Rock Honey, please stop by our booth this weekend at either Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market, Austin Farmer’s Market, or any of the farmer’s markets in Dallas to put your name on our “To Be Interviewed” list.  Sign up can only be done at the farmer’s markets, so please come out this weekend!

Bee Vs Car: Who Gets More Miles per Gallon?

As a VW enthusiast and a beekeeper, I loved this article.  Check it out!
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123289433&sc=emaf

A Review of the Winter 2010 "Fancy Foods Show" in San Francisco

Earlier this month Round Rock Honey took a road trip to the Fancy Foods Show in San Francisco.  Owners Konrad and Elizabeth Bouffard (with Round Rock Honey-Dallas owner William Branstetter) flew in, while long-time employees Emily Winkler and Nathan McCormick drove the "honey-mobile", a 2008 Toyota Prius wrapped in company advertising.  For the past 50+ years the Fancy Foods Show has served as a launching pad of sorts for some of America's best known gourmet food brands - Perrier Water and Grey Poupon among them.  It is the place to be for up-and-coming food companies that seek to meet deep-pocket buyers and key members of the food media.

For Round Rock Honey, the purpose of attending this year's show was the same as for everyone else: to point out to anyone else who will listen how our product is unique compared to all the others on the market.  This year it wasn't hard to tell our story and compare ourselves to others...we were the only ones at the show who actually make all of our own honey!

Even though the Fancy Food Show is clearly about the business of food, a wonderful side benefit is that exhibitors and attendees alike are allowed, even encouraged, to sample.  With approximately 1,300 booths to see (promoting a mind-blowing variety of foods - everything from fine wine, whiskey, and chocolate to pasta and marshmallows) one must be careful to choose what to taste carefully.  Failure to do so can result in a seriously sour stomach by day's end!  


This blog entry is a recounting of the top ten foods I encountered at the show.  If you decide you want to try any of the items I'm recommending to you below, just look them up online.  Please let them know I introduced you.  I don't get anything from it, but good karma goes a long way!


For fun, I've also included a short recounting of people and places we visited outside the show. I hope you can use this info the next time you visit San Francisco! 

KONRAD'S 10 FAVORITES

VerMints

VerMints, our all-natural breath mints and pastilles made with organic and natural ingredients, provide a refreshing alternative to other “not so natural” mints. Inspired by the purity of the Green Mountain State, VerMints are tasty, uniquely shaped lozenges that come in six pure, full-bodied flavors, and colorful contemporary tins.




Aged Puerh Tea Brick - NEW!

Puerh is an ancient healing tea known for its medicinal properties and rich taste. Numi's Organic Puerh comes from 500-year-old, wild, organic tea trees grown in China's pristine Yunnan Mountains. The maturity of these trees yields a superior tasting tea compared to younger, pruned bushes. Unlike traditional teas that are oxidized for an 8 hour period, Puerh undergoes a unique 60-day fermentation process resulting in a bold, earthy flavor with hints of malt and elevated levels of antioxidants.

Plush Puffs

We’re devoted to the artisan marshmallow product. And because of this, we have had to be quite creative about the process of getting these made right. Downright innovative sometimes. But nobody cares about the process behind the scenes, because what makes our marshmallows so special is how they taste. Even after all these years of making marshmallows, we still love to eat Plush Puffs ourselves and share them with our friends and family because we think they just taste so darn good. We've tried all the other marshmallows out there - and there are some good ones. But we consistently come away feeling confident that ours are best gourmet marshmallow product available.

Bella Luna Truffle Infused Olive Oil

We take our Tan Label Sardinian EVOO and infuse it with the finest Truffles from Alba. The White Truffle and Black Truffle infused oils are packaged as a boxed set in a handmade wooden display case. Limited production yields less than 600 bottles of each annually.

Secret Stash Sea Salts

This salt comes from Seattle, and is remarkable for the intensity of the salt, and the flavors adorning it.  It is made with cumin, pineapple juice, and pacific sea salt.


Casina Rossa "Don Antonio" Pannocchie

These densely-coiled pasta spirals absorb remarkable amounts of sauce without compromising their structure. Casina Rossa "Don Antonio" Pannocchie are an inspiring Ritrovo Selection, adaptable by serving whole or breaking into smaller bits, ranging from elegant pasta dishes to broths and minestrone, from baked pasta to cold salads.

Sence Rose Nectar

SENCE Rare European Rose Nectar is a beverage made from Kazanlak rose petals harvested during a three-week period from the end of May and early June in central Bulgaria. The concentrate of pink rose petals, natural preservative sugar and water is pasteurized at the peak of aroma and flavor, virtually the same way it has been produced for hundreds of years.  Leonardo Da Vinci drank Kazanlak rose nectar from Bulgaria regularly – both hot, as a tea and chilled.  There are two product versions: SENCEH Traditional and SENCEH Silver (33% reduced sugar).

Eduardo's Pasta

The secret to Eduardo's success has always been his devotion and dedication to quality. Today, the family continues to produce Eduardo's pasta with the same unaltered original recipe.

Eduardo's pasta was the overwhelming favorite in the 2001 San Francisco Chronicle's Taster's Choice, and scored high enough to be inducted into the Chronicle’s Hall of Fame. Panelists commented on the exceptional texture, and many could also detect the egg flavor. It was described as tasting like fresh pasta, even though it is dried.

Brownie Pops

Browniepops™, the perfect combination of gooey brownie interior with a crisp chocolate exterior, available in 11 unique flavors. Browniepops are great for corporate events, holiday parties, and gift-giving, and are even available in personalized holiday and event designs! There has never been a better time to be a chocolate lover…

Baby Blue and Rumble Whiskys (Scottish Spelling)

Baby Blue is not only Texas’ first whisky, but so far we know the only blue corn whisky made anywhere. It pays homage to the American whisky tradition and while adding something we think is new and innovative.

PEOPLE AND PLACES WE VISITED OUTSIDE THE SHOW

Four Barrel Coffee Shop

Before the show each day I would go for a jog. Four Barrel was located at my half-way point, so I stopped in to give it a try. The coffee blew me away. It is the best coffee I've ever had, hands down. You've got to try it when you are next in San Francisco. Don't believe me? Here's another recent review:

"Just finished off my coffee and vanilla bean donut. They were both delicious and I will definitely be back. I love the industrial space at Four Barrell. Its so wide open that there's not really any bumping into people that commonly stagger around like zombies waiting for their coffee. The barista who made a cappuccino for my girlfriend also capped it with a nice milky heart.

They also have a bunch of different beans that you can pick-up for brewing at home. I saw at least 3 people stocking up this morning, which looks pretty funny when you see someone with 3-6 bags at ~$12 a bag. Regardless, its pretty clear why they might crave these beans. The coffee really is just that good." - Ed B

Muddy Waters Coffee Shop

Muddy Waters is the low-price alternative to Four Barrel.  They have an excellent breakfast menu, great for warming up after a run in the chilly morning rain.  Excellent coffee, but atmosphere wasn't so great.  The local homeless folks hang out here a lot and talk to themselves.  At least their conversations are compelling.

Here's another review:

"Muddy's was the first coffee shop I ever went to in San Francisco almost 14 years ago, and coming from points east, and in a pre-Starbuck era, I was floored by how strong the coffee was. FLOORED.

I still use Muddy's coffee as the yardstick by which to measure all others. Brewed fresh frequently, using solid-quality beans, by people who love coffee. Strong and tasty. And Muddy's is also a yardstick for coffee shops. All kinds of people hang out here, and I mean ALL kinds, including both people who talk to themselves because they're crazy and people who talk to themselves because they're wearing Bluetooth implants.

It's unpretentious, with good light and multiple tables and chairs that are just the right height for reading and writing. They have all the beverages. They have all the cafe snacks. They have the only yummy vegan cookies in existence. And their flyer wall is a pretty good way to get the Zeitgeist of SF.

Also, Joel, the angry young man with excellent taste in music who works several nights a week, has worked here longer even than that. He will make you the *BEST* mocha in SF. Hands down. People who don't drink mochas, don't get mochas, and can't make them, so they can be hit or miss in this town. But Joel's mochas (and Americanos) FTW. If he seems grumpy to you, it is because he has to handle the hassle of the madding crowds.

I'm always amused by people who go to the Mission for coffee and say, "ew, gross, it's got character." I suppose that shows my "age," in terms of believing I live in the pre-dot-com Mission instead of the Tablecloth Mission. If you don't want to be hassled by street people on 16th and Valencia, don't hang out on 16th and Valencia. They've been on that corner probably longer than Joel.

Regarding the bathroom, Muddy's has recently installed a brand-new toilet and one of those most excellent high-powered Xcelerator hand dryers, and it's generally cleaner, although as with most coffee shops, YMMV. Your attitude toward bathroom graffiti, I cannot help you with. You are in fact in the Mission.

(My personal coffeeshop checklist. Doesn't really impact the score.)

Outside seating? Yes, four seats.

Bathroom OK? YMMV

Nutmeg? Yes.

Splenda? Yes."  -Tarin T.

Delfino's Pizzeria

On our last day in San Francisco, we visited Delfino's.  I was impressed with their made-from-scratch pizza, and their hand-pulled mozzarella.  I was also impressed to see on the wall a post-card indicating that the restaurant was one of Alice Water's favorite places.If you're going to eat here at night, expect 4 hour wait times.  We went at 11am, and the line to get in was already forming.

House of Nanking

The House of Nanking serves Chinese unlike what most Americans have ever had.  For example, instead of just offering hot tea, they offer "hot flower infused tea".  The tea blooms in the hot water as it is served to you in a giant glass mug.  Try the onion bread appetizer, and be prepaered for the food to stay with you a while.  Unlike strip mall Chinese, you will be satisfied for hours after eating here.  

Harvey's Bar

Will, Nathan, Emily, and I decided to celebrate Emily's 21st birthday in the Castro, at Harvey's.  I was curious to see the neighborhood Mr. Milk made famous, and it was only a short walk from our house. When we were there, a group of completely nude people walked by on the sidewalk.  Such is San Francisco.

Wineries in Napa

The last time I visited Napa was twelve years ago.  Back then, most wineries did not charge to taste their wines.  All that has now changed, but because it was Emily’s 21^st birthday, we got away with several free bottles of wine, and even a few free tastings! Of all the wineries we visited - Opus One, Gallo, Cakebread, Sequoia Grove - the one I liked the best was Grgich.  Violetta Grgich, the current VP of Operations was an acquaintance of mine in graduate school, and her wines today are as good as they were then.