Candlemaking
Beeswax has been an important source of light for centuries. Beeswax burns clean and bright. Even in our modern world of electricity and LED, beeswax casts a warm glow, bringing cheerful light to cold, dark winter nights. In this session, we will discuss and demonstrate the process of rendering and filtering of beeswax from cappings into blocks. Then we will transform these blocks, using several techniques, into beautiful candles, for personal use, for gifts, and for market.
Matt Allen and Liz Lovelock have been keeping bees since they got their first two packages in 2010. In 2013, they launched their company Apricot Apiaries in Kimberly, Oregon, on the North Fork of the John Day River. Since then, they have grown to 500 colonies. The pair provide pollination services, as well as nucs, packages, queens, honey, and education. They have been making and selling beeswax candles since 2013. Liz and Matt have two young beekeepers, Teddy and Leo, who keep them busy in the field and at home. You can follow their story on Facebook and Instagram @apricotapiaries or on their website www.apricotapiaries.com.