Nature and Environment

Symbiosis between sheep, bees and nature conservation in Southern Germany.

Matthias Kober, certified landscape guide from Loßburg in the Black Forest, beekeeper.

Recently, Mr. Kober visited us about wool blankets, and we got to know each other. Here are his experiences.

According to Mr. Kober, 80% of hay meadows have been lost in the last 25 years. This is due, not least, to the ever-decreasing sheep populations.

Hard-to-reach areas in nature reserves can and will be grazed by sheep. Here, the sheep not only find ideal and high-quality fodder from grasses, plants, and flowers, but also contribute to the spread and biodiversity of plant seeds by eating them and then excreting them through their droppings and migration, while simultaneously fertilizing. These meadows with their rich plant biodiversity, in turn, provide an ideal breeding ground for bees to produce the highest quality honey.

This fact inspired us to create a new Gotland wool blanket quality. The main component of the processed wool comes from Southern German Merino wool. We are excited about the result.

By the way, if you would like excellent German honey, you can contact Mr. Kober.

For the beekeeper, another product is propolis. Propolis is a resin that bees use to seal their hive and which they have at the entrance of the hive to protect themselves from the outside world.

The resin contains wax, pollen, essential oils, and salivary secretions. The most effective components are said to be flavonoids and phenolic acids, which act against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Essentially, a “natural antibiotic.”

Propolis is commonly used in cosmetics, dietary supplements, and homeopathy.

Nature and Environment, Real German Honey

Proverb:

“Bees and sheep, nourish you in sleep,

but don’t sleep too long, or you’ll miss honey and lamb.”