I (Chris) started keeping bees in 2012. After meeting a local beekeeper in 2011, to buy some beeswax for a woodworking project, I began reading and learning about bees. That led to getting my first two hives. I soon learned about swarm trapping and what was supposed to be 1 or 2 hives quickly grew to 20 hives. With work, I maintained 20-40 hives for several years. I was appointed as a county apiary inspector. During my early time as an inspector, I began to notice the need for beekeeping education in the local area. I offered a Beekeeping 101 class with the local extension office; soon after that, I led the founding of Gallia County Beekeepers Association.
Educating beekeepers and the public has been a passion for us. We attend local and national conferences to learn more about bees and beekeeping, and we bring that information back to our local community. When you find us at markets or events, we will likely have an observation hive and other beekeeping educational materials. We gladly share the importance of bees, pollinators and their benefits.
In 2022, I decided to grow the bees beyond the few hives I had. In 2023, Steph began to join me in the bee yard to take notes and generally help out. This led to a rapid expansion of the number of hives we maintain. We quickly learned that by working together, we could get more done.
