By NICOLE MARSHALL MIDDLETON World Scene Writer
Published: 6/21/2012 1:54 AM
Last Modified: 6/21/2012 4:31 AM
George Brining of Gold Standard Honey is always willing to talk bees with anyone.
Brining manages about 25 bee hives in northern Mayes County and sells the raw, local honey at the Cherry Street Farmers Market. And while at the market, Brining enjoys sharing his family story of farming the Oklahoma land for decades.
He was raised on a wheat farm in northwestern Oklahoma near Cherokee and spent many an hour on a tractor and combine.
“Considering the acreage we had and the number of years my great-grandfather, grandfather, father and I worked those acres, I estimate we produced approximately 1.25 million bushels of wheat over a 100-year period.”
He was hooked on farming from a young age after sprouting runners from a potato as a Cub Scout project.
“When my mom told me that I could put it in the ground and it would grow a potato plant, I was dumbstruck, as I tend to be, and so I tested her theory,” Brining said. “When in fact it did grow, I was hooked and have been growing or raising things ever since.”
Brining said that he has worked with bees for about five years.
“I wanted a way to earn extra income during my retirement years. I am very fortunate to work with a group of men who know a lot about bees and are very generous with their knowledge. I now have 25 hives and hope to split them soon into somewhere between 30 and 40 for this season,” Brining said.
His goal is to get people hooked on authentic, raw local honey.
“My bees work the wildflowers around the countryside, and the good people of Tulsa can benefit from this, and it thrills me to be a part of this exchange,” Brining said. “People who come to Cherry Street Farmers Market are truly happy to get the finest that this part of the country can offer as far as food is concerned. I sincerely consider it a privilege to be a part of it.”
Meet Brining at the Cherry Street Market this week and learn more about National Pollinator Week.