By Terri J. Giles, The Register-Herald
Sweet, nutritious honey and our resilient bees are a Godsend for West Virginia and Appalachia. Honey is boosting the economy of southern West Virginia and bringing positive benefits to us.
After decades of public service and foundation management, I was blessed to be able to return to my hometown and help stand up and grow a meaningful non-profit social enterprise that is making a huge difference – protecting our pollinators, growing more native plants, restoring coal-impacted lands and boosting the state’s economy.
The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC), a project of Appalachian Headwaters, trains, supports, and provides bees and equipment free of charge to partner beekeepers in economically distressed counties throughout southern West Virginia and parts of Virginia. We help our partners produce honey (and income) in the “greenest” possible way. Since 2016, we have helped more than 100 partners get started in beekeeping for profit.
Beekeeping can be a great way to earn a sustainable living in rural areas, but the start-up costs and learning curve can be steep. Our educational staff helps eliminate some of the risk for partners. We support our members by teaching beekeeping skills in classrooms and through regular mentoring at their hives. We start with a five-week Beekeeping 101 class each winter, before any partner receives a hive. Each partner is assigned a staff mentor, who provides regular support and is on call for help. Mentors visit each partner at least five times over the course of the year. After the first year, each partner continues to build his or her skills, participating in advanced classes and workshops.