Beekeeping meeting

Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture Magazine

Last night, we attended our first NYC beekeepers gathering in The Arsenal in Central Park. Kim Flottum, editor of Bee Culture magazine and renowned beeekeper, talk about beekeeping and the history of the decline of the honey bee population. His presentation, "The Buzz about Bees and the Future of Food", was really interesting, although I felt he was preaching to the quire (choir?). However, he also drew an interesting parallel between the current resurgence of beekepers and that of the 1970s. He also explained that while Colony Collapse Disorder is one of the worst things that has happened to the bee population, it is also one of the best things that happened to beekeeping. This is true in the sense that had we not felt the sense of urgency and worry about the bees, we might not have discovered an incredible passion for beekeeping! Many new beekeepers like us, were likely drawn in for the same reason.

Of course we were not surprise to discover that beekeepers like to eat and share delicious food! Among other delicious foods, there was cold celery soup, an assortment of cheeses, various artisan breads and most importantly incredible deserts!!

At the end of the meeting, we were invited to the rooftop, where there was a small but lovely vegetable garden, tended by the employees of The Arsenal. Up there we witnessed a of the most beautiful sunset and chatted with some fellow beekeepers.

All in all in was quite a pleasant evening to be amongst fellow bee lovers!

Why beekeeping?

Do you wake up one day and decide to become a beekeeper? Probably not.

However every day, it seems that we see new ways in which we are hurting the world we live in. Most of us unfortunately, remain unaware of the realities of the environmental impact our everyday actions have. G and I have had to make a conscious effort to be informed and be more mindful of how we lead our lives. We believe that even the slightest step in the right direction can change the world, for this reason we decided to become beekeepers!

So what does beekeeping have to do with saving the planet? Bees, a few other insects and bats have the very necessary and important role of carrying out pollination. Buzzing their way through their amazing lives, bees are responsible for pollinating 30% of the food we eat. Unfortunately many factors have contributed to the disappearance of honeybee colonies; you may have even heard of the documentary The Vanishing of the Bees. (If you haven't, please check out the website and find out more.) This very unfortunate occurrence is a worldwide threat to the population of honeybees and in turn our food supply.

A wild bee hive

Beekeepers give honeybees a home and look after them to ensure the survival of the colony(ies) in the hive(s). In return, the bees pollinate the surrounding areas and provide the beekeepers with some amazing goodies such as honey, wax and pollen. Also, bees are fascinating and complex creatures that are fun to learn about. They have a perfectly organized social structure within each colony and live in complete symbiosis with nature.

Through this blog, we hope to share our beautiful journey into the world of bees, as well as some of the knowledge we acquire along the way and to raise awareness about the plight of the honey bees.

Next post: The beginning of our beekeeping adventure!