Last week we had the opportunity to chat with Jennifer Espalin of Bee's Honey. Though she gave a lot of credit to her husband, Daniel, the owner and sole beekeeper, Jennifer plays a huge role in bottling, delivering and filling orders. She had a lot of interesting info to share!
Bee's Honey is based in Albuquerque's South Valley. Like most beekeepers, Daniel began his business out of a genuine love for bees. Jennifer & Daniel started small by selling a few jars of honey about 20 years ago at the Downtown Growers Market, their newborn baby bouncing on Jennifer's knee. Fast forward to today, and the the two of them are still running the business by themselves, however, now Daniel manages over 100 hives on top of teaching 20-hour beekeeping classes out of his house (more on that later). The majority of Daniel's hives are in the North and South Valleys of Albuquerque, most along the river and on local farms. Farmers reach out to him to house bees on their farms to help pollinate their crops - a mutually beneficial relationship. Daniel also manages hives as far as Deming and Las Cruces and relies on family members there to check on the hives in between his visits. With his eager six year-old grandson as his co-pilot the whole operation is definitely a family affair. Jennifer also commented on how different the honey tastes that comes from down south, primarily because of the mezquite trees. The flavor of honey is entirely dependent on what the bees have available to them.
Bees are responsible for pollinating 70 of the 100 crop species that feed most of the world. Since the early 1990's there has been an observed decline in bee populations. Many beekeepers are doing whatever they can to spread the word to save the bees! Daniel offers 20 hour beekeeping classes for folks serious about bee keeping. You can call Daniel at 505-550-6136 or Jennifer at 505-907-1220. You can also inquire in person at the Downtown Growers Market on Saturdays until early November and at the Rail Yards Market until the end of October.
Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!
Bee's Honey is based in Albuquerque's South Valley. Like most beekeepers, Daniel began his business out of a genuine love for bees. Jennifer & Daniel started small by selling a few jars of honey about 20 years ago at the Downtown Growers Market, their newborn baby bouncing on Jennifer's knee. Fast forward to today, and the the two of them are still running the business by themselves, however, now Daniel manages over 100 hives on top of teaching 20-hour beekeeping classes out of his house (more on that later). The majority of Daniel's hives are in the North and South Valleys of Albuquerque, most along the river and on local farms. Farmers reach out to him to house bees on their farms to help pollinate their crops - a mutually beneficial relationship. Daniel also manages hives as far as Deming and Las Cruces and relies on family members there to check on the hives in between his visits. With his eager six year-old grandson as his co-pilot the whole operation is definitely a family affair. Jennifer also commented on how different the honey tastes that comes from down south, primarily because of the mezquite trees. The flavor of honey is entirely dependent on what the bees have available to them.
Bees are responsible for pollinating 70 of the 100 crop species that feed most of the world. Since the early 1990's there has been an observed decline in bee populations. Many beekeepers are doing whatever they can to spread the word to save the bees! Daniel offers 20 hour beekeeping classes for folks serious about bee keeping. You can call Daniel at 505-550-6136 or Jennifer at 505-907-1220. You can also inquire in person at the Downtown Growers Market on Saturdays until early November and at the Rail Yards Market until the end of October.
Click here to download a PDF of this week's Newsletter!