Beekeeping in New York City
Terrific little article on beekeeping in NYC, with some fun quotes:
The citys urban bee mavens inhabit their own entomological universe, sharing useful information about mite cures or re-queening protocols that is, replacing a jaded queen bee. As might be expected, they are also given to apiary humor. There are puns about the, well, plight of the bumblebee and requests to lend me your comb; and, yes, there are questions about whether to bee or not to bee. Mr. Solomon, a graduate of the Harvard Business School, has been known to tell hive masters that he has a degree from the Harvard bee school.
On a recent afternoon on her rooftop, Ms. Goodman unhinged the hive cover and she and Mr. Graves began examining the individual wooden bee frames, wedging out big pieces of honeycomb. Being from New York, it boasts a bouquet that is more floral — sweeter — and has a lighter taste, said Mr. Graves. He noted that the bees forage in Central Park, at rooftop planters, outside florists shops and in community gardens, rather than at upstate clover fields or deep-South orange groves.
But it isnt the easiest thing in the world to sweet-talk skeptical New Yorkers into buying urban honey for $5 a pound. You would think that New York honey might have a rather strong flavor, said Judith Cramer, a computer-science teacher who had stopped by Mr. Gravess cart at the Union Square Greenmarket specifically to buy New York honey as a gift for a friend who lives in England.
Actually, its rather sweet, Mr. Graves said.
No, you’d think that New York honey would be quite aggressive as far as honeys go, Ms. Cramer said with a laugh. You know, its the honey that says, Whats it to you? …
I loved this closer:
Back on the roof, Mr. Bukiet sighed as he surveyed the spectacle of his wife and children poking into their two big-city beehives.You raise your children in Manhattan, you think theyll be the ultimate urbanites, and instead you get a bunch of naturalists, he said, deadpan. Where did I go wrong?