Beeyond the Hive Colorado Honey

If you were to ask a person what the greatest gift their parents ever gave them was, I think a couple of common answers would be a car on their 16th birthday, or maybe even a college education. For me, the greatest gift I ever received was a beehive. Not a common gift indeed, but to this day it is my most prized and cherished possession.

I can’t really explain the feeling I get when I am out in a bee yard. The sound of millions of bees buzzing all around me may be frightening to some, but it is calming to me. There is just something about those little insects that absolutely fascinates me. At first I thought no one could understand or really, truly appreciate the bees unless they were an actual beekeeper. This past summer has taught me how wrong I have been.

My sister Jacy and I sell our honey and beauty products at a number of festivals and markets and this year we had so many people inquiring about the state of the bees since the Colony Collapse Disorder. These weren’t just people trying to make friendly conversation…they were genuinely concerned about our bees. It always makes us happy when our little worker bees receive the recognition they deserve! In addition to our festivals, I also agreed to give a summer presentation in my hometown of Rocky Ford, Colorado. I was told the ages of my audience would range from 4-82 years old. I admit I was a bit confused as to how I could make this presentation exciting and entertaining for everyone involved. The answer turned out to be simple…I just brought a live observation hive and a box full of honeystix and I got to be the most popular person in town (just for the day)! It was the best feeling at the end of my presentation when I asked all the little kids how many of them wanted to be a beekeeper when they grow up & they all threw their hands in the air & yelled “I DO!!!”

When my parents gave me my first beehive I’m sure they were trying to teach me “responsibility” like some parents do by giving their child a puppy. Instead, it has brought out this side of me I never even knew I had in me! Working in the bees with my family has been the most rewarding experience I’ve ever had in my life. Besides enriching my life, my hives have provided me with some of the happiest (and craziest) memories I have of my family! Anything from my Dad popping wheelies on his forklift, to Jacy sprinting from rattle snakes, to Jeff getting his semi stuck in the mud (and getting towed by a guy that looked like ZZ Top), to my mom being disgruntled about the (lack of) “bathroom situation” out in a bee yard…you’ll get it all! The good, the bad and the ugly! Although they are slightly nervous and highly disapprove, I will use this blog to keep you posted on all our crazy antics.

Until next time…