How did your relationship with bees and honey first begin?
My relationship with bees first began when I worked on a farm in Arkansas. It was 2007, shortly after colony collapse disorder was discovered, and a scientist from University of Arkansas gave a talk on colony collapse disorder. Around the same time, my aunt married a beekeeper which led to my work on their bee ranch in northern MN.
What inspired you to start delivering honey by bike in Minneapolis?
After a few seasons working at my family’s bee ranch, I was hooked on becoming a beekeeper. Then my aunt asked if I would like to sell their honey in Mpls. I had been commuting by bike for many years. It was approaching Halloween so I used that day to launch my business by painting my bike like a bee and dressing up like one as I delivered honey and handed out my business cards.
Can you paint a picture of those early Beez Kneez days? What was it like starting from scratch?
Early Beez Kneez days were exciting, full of blissful ignorance, and energy. I was working in restaurants and on farms and building my business. I delivered honey year round and had no bounds except what I could carry. I worked with the bike community to grow my fleet of delivery bikes and trailers. Even hauling my whole set up to market on my bike and trailer on weekends for several years.
What was it like managing over 100 hives and launching the Honeycycle?
I grew to 100 hives over several years and started to diversify what my business offered very early on. Teaching classes, urban hive maintenance, having events, securing grants as well as a successful kickstarter campaign which helped to fund the development of the Honeycycle and the Beez Kneez Honey House.
How did the Minneapolis community and co-ops help you grow along the way?
My community in Minneapolis and the coops were so incredibly supportive along the way. People were worried about the state of bees and pollinators so the reception of my efforts to raise awareness and provide local beekeeping services was well-timed and appreciated. The bike community and the infrastructure kept my pedaling safely and in style. The local food coops were great at promoting values of local food, ecological protection and supporting a small farmer by ordering honey from a small producer and paying fair prices as well as hosting hives on their roofs and sponsoring events. The local beekeeping community was strong and eager to have access to resources, education and a pedal-powered honey house they could use!
Why is raising your own queens and using organic methods so central to what you do?
Raising my own queens is not only more affordable, it allows me to select for the kind of bees that can survive our winters, make honey, disease resistant and have gentle temperaments . I choose to use organic methods because it aligns with my values. Also, the main parasite that the beekeepers and bees are fighting right now has built resistance to widely used antibiotics.
What keeps you passionate about this work after all these years?
Bees are incredible teachers of patience, collaboration and act as an indicator of the health of our environment. They also bring people from all walks of life together in ways that are so surprising.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about bees or beekeeping?
I would say that you don’t have to become a beekeeper to help the bees. The best way to help all pollinators, not just honey bees, is to support and employ sustainable, chemical-free land use, fight climate change and plant bee forage.
How can our co-op community keep supporting you and your mission?
The co-op community can continue to source from and advocate for local, sustainable farmers that grow food in a way that serves pollinators.
What kind of future are you hoping to help build for pollinators, farms, and the next generation?
As a founding board member of the St. Croix Valley Food Alliance, I am working hard to help build a more localized and resilient food system in our little corner of the world. We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful, soil and water rich areas of the world and we need to protect it. Pollinator health is intrinsically tied to the way we grow food. With the right systemic and institutional support, sustainable and pollinator-friendly farmers can thrive and provide our communities with healthy food.