Honey, where have you been?

Christiano Solar

Oneida County, New York · 2026 season

Here.

Oneida County, New York: the bees' home this season

Tucked away in the rolling hills of Deerfield, New York, at the edge of the Adirondack Mountains, something sweet is being produced alongside clean energy. The Christiano Solar project generates renewable power, and the bee hives alongside it are home to thriving pollinators, bees.

Here, solar panels in open fields share the land with grazing herds of livestock in a system known as agrivoltaics. Herds keep the grasses trimmed and the ecosystem balanced, and in return, the solar panels provide shade for livestock, which can improve crop yield. In the meadows and woodlands surrounding the facility, bees travel to the surrounding flora, gathering nectar from wildflowers and native plants. The nectar is deposited into their hives and is eventually converted into this golden honey that encompasses the flavor of the region’s diverse landscape.

One season, visit by visit.

Every time someone walked the land, they wrote down what was blooming.

Bees on this land since June 2025.

Mar15
Visited
Both hives came through the winter with honey to spare.
Apr23
Visited
One hive was booming, so it was split: the new colony went on to start Cortland.
Apr30
Visited
A quick look: fresh eggs, and room for the queen to lay.
May15
Visited
Queen cells everywhere: a new queen is on her way. Already storing lots of nectar.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- white clover Trifolium repens
- meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris
May29
Visited
The new queen, marked white, has just begun to lay. The deep boxes are full of honey: three more boxes on top.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris
- giant goldenrod Solidago gigantea
Jun12
Visited
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- lesser knapweed Centaurea nigra
- meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris
Jun26
Visited
Honey samples taken; old frames swapped for fresh drawn comb.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- selfheal Prunella vulgaris
- brownray knapweed Centaurea jacea
Jul10
Visited
Two boxes of nectar, not yet capped: the bees are still turning it into honey.
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
- white clover Trifolium repens
- Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis
Jul17
Visited
A quiet week: little fresh nectar coming in.
- selfheal Prunella vulgaris
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- brownray knapweed Centaurea jacea
Jul31
Visited
First harvest: nine deep frames of honey.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- eastern daisy fleabane Erigeron annuus
- common yellow oxalis Oxalis stricta
Aug14
Visited
The summer flow is over. One more box for the bees.
- meadow buttercup Ranunculus acris
- selfheal Prunella vulgaris
- red clover Trifolium pratense
Aug28
Visited
A very strong colony, eggs in the comb.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- hedge bindweed Calystegia sepium
- Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis
Sep11
Visited
Three boxes of honey and a busy, strong colony.
- red clover Trifolium pratense
- selfheal Prunella vulgaris
- hedge bedstraw Galium mollugo
Sep30
Visited
Fall harvest, with enough honey left in the hive for winter.
collected
Honey harvested
July 31 and September 30, 2026
9 deep frames in July; about 45 to 90 lb in all [VERIFY: estimate, Joe to confirm]

14 visits225 plants recorded47 of them bee flowers64 kinds of insects, birds and other animals

[VERIFY: species to be checked by a botanist]

What the bees were working.

Main forage: Clover and Goldenrod

The Deerfield apiary sits among solar panels bordered by working farmland and field edges rich in native blooms. Clover and alfalfa dominate the open understory, supported by goldenrod and asters along hedgerows. This blend of agricultural and early successional plants offers continuous nectar flow from late spring through fall, sustaining pollinators in a productive yet diverse habitat.

When we saw them in bloom

	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep
red cloverTrifolium pratense
meadow buttercupRanunculus acris
brownray knapweedCentaurea jacea
selfhealPrunella vulgaris
common yellow oxalisOxalis stricta
white cloverTrifolium repens

Wildflower honey.

Deerfield honey is light amber and delicately aromatic, blending the smooth sweetness of clover with the faint spice of goldenrod. Its flavor opens floral and buttery, deepening into subtle herbal tones as it lingers. The result is a clean, balanced honey that reflects the gentle productivity of a solar meadow in bloom.

Tasting notes