“We learn from [the bees]—it’s a little partnership. They have tuned us into the environment.”
—Gail Welty
What part of your honeybee operation are you most proud of?
JW: Bees are livestock and you have to take care of them properly. We’re not throwing all sorts of medicines in the hive. Hopefully, the knowledge that I’ve gained from being a Master Beekeeper helps keep them going to fruition. Maintaining healthy hives is very difficult but rewarding.
GW: I was going to say the same thing actually. We have really healthy bee yard and we have loses but not anywhere in the percentage of the average. We get a lot of nice things from them and it’s really nice to see them healthy.
What do you love most about farm life?
JW: Getting stung, I love getting stung. Just kidding! The connection with nature. Bees are such an unbelievable little bug, I feel so minor in the scope of things when you see what they do to survive. It is humbling.