Solitary bee bread: Difference between revisions

This crumpet, titled “Solitary bee bread”, was served to the 150 visitors attending the [[Preparation of a naked soil strip, Inauguration of a naked soil strip|Inauguration of a naked soil strip]]. This project was part of the festival SETU, held in the village de Ergué-Gabéric, in the french Cornwalls in the summer of 2020.

This recipe consisted of a crumpet<ref>The crumpet is a very active batter cooked on one side, toasted and traditionaly served with butter and jam in the British Corwalls</ref> made out of spelt sourdough, cooked on a bed of caramelized toasted buckwheat seeds. It was served with dandelion salted butter and pommeau<ref>Pommeau is a sort of “apple wine” made out for apple juice and apple liquor</ref> syrup. The visitors were invited to butter their crumpet and add syrup themselves as you would for any 4 o'clock snack.

== The inauguration speech (preceeding the service) ==

By doing so, the dancers stamp and prepare the strip of soil which will host the guests of the upcoming winter: the discrete beings who thrive in bare soils. We sometimes can observe their burrows scattered across the grounds exposed to the warmth of the sun. She or he who has drawn this strip of naked soil on her of his land or garden, is well aware of it: by offering hospitality to these invertebrate diggers, she increases the odds of a successful harvest, of seeing her garden liven up, and the preservation of her beloved landscapes.

During winter, these few eggs now confined in the warm soil will transform into pupaes, then in adults, thanks to the feed carefully provided by their mothers. Then, stepping out of their burrows at the beginning of spring, the bees will, at last, taste the fresh nectar of the melliferous flowers formerly sown on the half strip of naked soil. By foraging, from one flower to another, the solitary bees will contribute to the pollination and reproduction of surroundings plants and trees, with a much greater yield that of the well-known honey bee.

The farmer, through the surface of its agricultural land, is obviously more able to improve the resilience of these animals. Many of these farmers are indeed doing so thank to the help of the European Union and regional institutions. But for those of you, who may be modest gardeners as we are, know that nothing prevents you from preparing a strip of naked soil to host the solitary bee, as a gesture of gratefulness for their service.

This is the second strip we’ve set in the area: the first one was dug in a field of the Melenig cider farm, where Christian Toullec produces cider, apple juice, pommeau and lambic. We would be delighted to see new strips of naked soil pop up in surroundings farms and nearby gardens, and why not further away, so that we can monitor their evolution in time.”