Raise Bees Eat Honey!
Beekeeping is a popular hobby and, if you enjoy using honey on your toast and in your tea, you might want to have a few hives in the back yard. In 2012 U.S. Apiculture, or beekeeping, produced 147 million pounds of honey but that was less than in previous years and more beekeepers are needed. Honey has been a dietary staple for a long time. In Spain, cave drawings dating to 6,000 B.C. show people climbing cliffs to reach honey hives. Local beekeepers Ruth and Lonnie O’Dell started their beekeeping hobby in 1971 and this year their 10 hives produced around 120-pounds per hive. “I was teaching carpentry at Indian Capital Technology Center when I brought a swarm of bees home in a box,” said Lonnie. “Anyone with a garden should have a hive to pollinate their vegetables and fruit.” The sweet rewards of beekeeping require an investment of time and money but there are several reasons the O’Dells have enjoyed it for so many years. Ruth said, “Everyone who get...