Foresight Group’s 6MW Gedling Solar Farm in Nottinghamshire has produced honey from hives situated on the farm, managed and collected by The Friends of Gedling Country Park.
With a grant provided by Foresight, six beehives were purchased and occupied with locally collected swarms. The hives are located within the solar farm boundaries, at no inconvenience to visitors to the country park, and maintained by the Friends. The honey is to be sold each year to raise proceeds. As well as providing the Friends with a sustainable source of income, the honey is rumoured to be advantageous to Hay Fever sufferers. The presence of bees within the park will increase the diversity of the habitat and assist in pollinating the local flora.
Gedling Solar Farm, owned and operated by infrastructure and private equity investment manager Foresight Group, , has 23,000 solar modules across the 14-hectare site. The site is the former Gedling Colliery which has been unused since its closure in 1991.
Terry Lock, chairman of Friends of Gedling Country Park, said: “At the park we welcome visitors of all ages all year round and we are delighted that the bees in the park seem to be thriving. This year they have produced a surplus of honey that we make available for visitors to sample and buy in our shop on the site.”
Ben Thompson, group marketing director at Foresight said: “It’s a pleasure to offer this limited-edition honey from the industrious bees at our Gedling Solar Farm. We work closely with Friends of Gedling Country Park to ensure visitors to the area not only learn about and enjoy the clean energy being generated but also the wonderful biodiversity of flora and fauna. We are grateful to the charity for looking after the bees and for collecting their honey which is delicious with a light and refreshing taste and texture.”
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