Archive for backyard

meeting Tom’s bees

February 15, 2010 · Filed under backyard, bees, sustainability, urban farm

Tom (a fellow “urban farmer” from Pleasanton) gave us a bee tour and some hands-on experience on what beekeeping is all about: we got to open one of his hives and inspect several frames. I was amazed how friendly and calm the bees were. Sure … being in the protective suit was reassuring but it did not really seem necessary. The bees were busy doing their thing and showed no aggressive behavior whatsoever. There was something truly magical about handling those bee-loaden frames. I am so looking forward to get my own hive.

I got to know Tom who maintains a website on bee-lining (a neat GIS & bees mash-up) through Linda Schneider who is running a visionary non-profit to create self-sustaining communities in El Cerrito.

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bee-curious

February 11, 2010 · Filed under backyard, bees

The area behind my garage always seemed useless – a place good only for storing unsightly things. Or maybe the perfect location for a bee hive? After reading “Beekeeping for DUMMIES” and attending a webinar from brushy mountain bee farm I was hooked. The beekeepers Judy and Tom whom I contact by email both suggest to attend a meeting of the mount diablo beekepers association.

The meeting today was encouraging. Beekeepers are friendly and helpful folk. I get to know other beginner-beekeepers who live nearby. Among them are Tim and Jessica who maintain an awesome blog about their “adventures in apiculture“.

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