Buzzing Bush Apiary was born out of raw curiosity.
In fact, all of Jocelyn Bertrand and Alain Johnson’s side hustles — who daylight as a flight attendant and school teacher respectively — are a product of pure passion.
Now, nestled on 50 acres of land in the heart of the Beaver Valley, the couple has built themselves an oasis — and the apiary is the newest addition.
The new honey producers have also introduced beekeeping immersion tours to share their buzzing business with the community.
“I breathe bees. I live bees. I dream of bees. So, of course, I wanted to share my passion, and this seemed like the simplest way,” said Bertrand.
Bertrand has had a passion for and interest in bees ever since he was a child. He always knew he would keep bees, it was just a matter of timing, money and having access to the proper set up. Both from Trois-Rivières, Québec, Bertrand and Johnson met in Toronto and spent 10 years in Priceville before settling on their spot in Kimberly — the place where Bertrand said “all the stars aligned.”
With the help of a mentor, Bertrand began beekeeping three years ago and quickly built up the 20 active honey bee hives he has today.
He observed a general interest in bees and honey farming has increased exponentially in recent years, and thought he could contribute to the public education. The immersion tours were designed to educate people about sustainable beekeeping, and convey the responsibilities of a beekeeper and the steps that need to be taken in order to produce a prosperous and healthy hive.
Keeping COVID-19 measures in mind, the tours are private, with the maximum number of participants capped at 10.
Tours typically last two hours, though Bertrand’s could talk about bees for several hours.
“I get a chance to share my knowledge and share my passion,” he said. “If I can get even a few more people interested in beekeeping, it would be worth it, and worth it for the environment.”
The tours begin in the barn, where Bertrand thoroughly discusses the theory behind beekeeping. He talks about the many species of bees and the importance of the different castes and their roles. He also gives an overview of the honey-making process and shows the different products and tools associated with beekeeping.
Participants then suit up and get the chance to experience all of these things for themselves. Bee suits and veils are provided (and then deep-cleaned and kept unused for a seven-day period after each use).
Depending on their comfort level, participants will get the opportunity to open up a hive, search for the queen, eggs and larvae, and even retrieve a frame of honey and taste it straight from the comb if it’s the correct time of year.
Bertrand prides his hive in producing multi-floral honey, pollen, wax and propolis that are a product of the diverse flora found in the Beaver Valley. The honey is available for purchase at their farm or for delivery.
“Everything we produce is as organic as it gets. You can’t have a purer product than that,” said Bertrand.
This year, Bertrand has also taken on queen rearing — another facet of the many rewards involved in running a sustainable apiary. He started sharing his knowledge and expertise by performing at a consulting level for others interested in starting their own hives.
On top of working as a flight attendant and managing two other separate businesses with Johnson, Bertrand happily adds colony inspections and disease management — among the many other tedious tasks associated with owning a healthy hive — into his weekly calendar.
Though a big fan of bees, Bertrand never cared for honey before he started farming it.
“When you are about to try your own honey for the first time you have this apprehension… Is it going to be any good? And then you have the first drop… There’s no going back,” said Bertrand.
The first honey harvest of the year takes place at the beginning of August.
Bertrand hopes to one day sell Buzzing Bush honey in stores, but for now, he is happy learning and growing his apiary, and helping others do the same.
