Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/928625
8 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t D G THIS Honey on Tap After spotting a video demonstration of the Flow Hive, an Australian invention introduced to the U.S. market in 2015 through a crowdfunding campaign, Knoll and Jordan's Marketing and Communications Director Lisa Mattson jumped at the chance to adopt the technology. The winery purchased a Flow Hive the first day they were introduced, and soon purchased two more. The Flow Hive, a second-generation redesign of the classic Langstroth hive, uses special flow frames that open to create channels in the honeycomb. This allows honey to flow directly from the hive, which makes harvesting it as simple as turning on a tap. The user-friendly nature of the Flow Hive and its po - tential to increase the number of backyard beekeepers was an immediate draw for Knoll and Mattson. In preparation for managing the apiary, Knoll began attending beekeeping and sensory classes at the University of California, Davis. He also enlisted the help of Marin Coastal Bee Co. beekeeper Mike Turner, whom Knoll describes as a "bee whisperer," to establish six traditional Langstroth hives and three Flow Hives at the estate for a local species of honeybee. While honey from Jordan's Langstroth hives must still be harvested traditionally, the ingenious method used by the Flow Hives makes it possible for Knoll to draw honey from the hives at a moment's notice. According to Turner, the dozen or so Flow Hives he tends operate most effectively when a robust bee colony can build enough honeycomb to fill the topmost frames of the hive. The invention has, however, been met with skepticism by traditionalists, who are concerned about the Flow Hive's closed system and plastic frames. "We decided to approach beekeeping using both methods, side by side, to better under - stand the differences between these hives, and to see if their honeys have different flavors," says Knoll. Jordan Winery Executive Chef Todd Knoll inspects the health of the bee garden's native plants. The "bee whisperer" Mike Turner.