Our beekeeping journey began a couple of years ago during a season of growth and independence on the homestead. While Jason was thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I decided it was the perfect time to take on a new challenge: raising honey bees. After months of research, joining a local beekeeping club, attending classes, and reading every beekeeping book I could get my hands on, I finally felt ready to start our backyard beekeeping adventure. I connected with a local beekeeper selling NUCs (nucleus colonies) and arranged to purchase two starter hives.
I will never forget the nerves I felt driving home with two colonies humming in the back of my vehicle—there is simply nothing that prepares you for that first moment of becoming a beekeeper. Once home, I carefully placed the colonies on their hive stands and stepped inside to steady myself (because as we all know, bees—and dogs—can smell fear). Giving the bees time to settle allowed them to orient before I methodically transferred each frame into their new hive boxes. I moved slowly, stayed calm, and successfully installed both colonies—though I was a complete ball of nerves the entire time.
That day marked the beginning of our homestead beekeeping story, one built on education, courage, and a deep respect for the honey bees that now help pollinate our garden and shape the flavor of our honey.
