The pre-k children know a lot about bees and their wall display shows it. I found this on their classroom wall and it reminded me of a wonderful interview Listen to the Bees in About Town – the local community paper for northern Dutchess that I picked up at the grocery store. My mother kept bees and I have always had a passing interest and superficial knowledge of what has become the lost art of beekeeping.
If the pre-k know a lot then Sam Comfort of Anarchy Apiaries knows even more. I learned that the Hudson Valley is historic bee territory but that knowledge of beekeeping is vanishing, that bees know best about bees, and agri-business bee keeping is a problem.
Here is Sam Comfort’s advice:
“Bees know what is best for bees. They’ve been doing it a long time. We need to step aside again. Go back to what the bees want to do.”
“Support local agriculture, including beekeepers. At least limit, and better still eliminate the use of
chemical pesticides and herbicides around your home and neighborhood. This is where we all live! Stop treating so many beneficial, useful plants as “weeds” or “invasives.” The ecosystem is always changing. The most invasive plants in the world are corn, cotton, and soy.
Plant willows, maples, locusts, poplars, lindens, fruit trees, nitrogen-fixers, pollinator gardens. Support diversity of all kinds.
Grow your own food.
Bee the change.”
My Dad kept Bees and I took over from him when he couldn’t manage them anymore. That is until a particularly nasty sting on the ankle had me swelling up like the Michelin man …