Diaries of the ACC Agricultural Expedition, part two

Rumors about the “crazy honey” of the Kazakh Altai began to spread three centuries ago. The disgraced Kerzhak Old Believers who fled to Bukhtarma spoke about the land of Belovodye, where “rivers flow with milk and honey.”

The peasant farm “Madi” was formed in 2014 in the village of Kundyzdy, Katon-Karagay district. Nurzhan Kusainov has a specialized education; he graduated from the Saratov Agricultural College with a degree in beekeeping. After finishing his studies, Nurzhan did not find a job in his specialty and decided to take up livestock farming. But after 6 years, he still decided to return to his profession. During the collapse of the USSR, the district beekeeping farm was dismantled by shareholders, leaving Nurzhan with only five hives. The path of a beekeeper began with them.

In 2014, Nurzhan took out a loan to purchase 30 bee colonies of the Central Russian breed and decided to start beekeeping. Honey bees of the Central Russian breed are resistant to diseases, in addition, in some winters, many beekeepers working with this breed achieve 100% safety of bee colonies. And winter in this region lasts 7 months a year.

The farm has two apiaries, one in the village of Kundyzdy, the second in the mountains. From one hive, Nurzhan receives from 20 to 30 kilograms of honey. “The beekeeper spends 10 months a year preparing for 50–60 days of honey harvest,” says the head of the farm. “We need to help the bees, do everything on time, then they will work well.” In the 90s, Kazakhstan exported more than 50 thousand tons of honey per year. And he was one of the 4 world leaders. Today they produce only crumbs of former volumes. Katon-Karagai beekeepers are confident that it is quite possible to return to their former positions, the only problem is in the sale of products. If the number of apiaries is increased, honey exports can be increased to 5 million tons per year.

How to distinguish good honey from fake? To this question, the owner of the Madi peasant farm answers: “You know, beekeepers rarely mix honey with sugar, they have no need for it. All this is the work of resellers. The honey in our area is exceptional, you see how the air is, there is no one around, it’s an environmentally friendly product.”

The Madi farm sells its products at the annual honey fair in Ust-Kamenogorsk. Eastern Kazakhstan supplies 70% of Kazakhstani honey; some varieties of Katon-Karagai honey were once considered the best in taste in the USSR. The reference books mention 225 honey plants that bloom from May to September. The conditions in which mountain flowers live are much harsher than in the steppe zone. The mountain plant has a short lifespan. To survive, it blooms more brightly and has a stronger aroma to attract pollinators. All this gives Katonian honey a unique richness and variety of taste. In addition, Nurzhan has formed a list of regular customers who value and love Katon-Karagay medicinal honey. “My regular client, a honey lover, is a local bear, he climbs into the apiary once a season, ruins a couple of hives and leaves satisfied,” Nurzhan adds finally. “We’re used to him, let him help himself, don’t mind.”