Keep at it

 This blog post is a tip of the cap to beekeepers who’ve been at it for years. I started keeping bees in 2014 and compared to many beekeepers that I know, 7 years still makes me new to the team and I certainly still have a lot to learn. I spent a day last week with a Tennessee beekeeper who’s been keeping bees for over 55 years. This gentleman has not only kept bees for over 5 decades he has also been a driving force in TN Beekeeping, consistently active on the local and state level to increase awareness of honeybees & pollinators and promote better beekeeping. 55 YEARS, let that sink in. That kind of staying power is what makes him and others I know who’ve been doing this a long time unique and great at the craft of beekeeping. They keep at it.

 It's those moments that keep you splitting hives and chasing swarms. It's those moments that keep you at it when you lose a hive or 20. Those moments that keep you going when it’s August and 90+ degrees and the bees are quite pissy. It's those moments that keep you at it for 55 years. The Incredible Honeybee is a saving grace for our planet and I consider myself fortunate to get to work with them and also with other beekeepers who share this same unique desire to keep bees. I tip my cap to every beekeeper out there who’s been doing this a long time, you are the salt of the earth. And to any new beekeepers who reads this, I’m so glad you’re joining the story. Stick with it in the good and bad. The incredible honeybee never disappoints.                                                                                                            

Jon Goodwin

Beekeeping Tip: Take an extra hive tool to your apiary and leave it on top of the inner cover of one of your hives. Speaking from experience, it will come in handy when you forget, lose, or just need another hive tool in the bee yard.