How did I get started?

When I was about 12, my dad and I started a beehive. It never really worked out: the hives kept dying on us (from Nosema). We kept at it for a couple of years and then simply abandoned the idea.

Fast forward many, many years to 2011 when to my surprise, I was gifted a membership to the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association. Apparently, I had mentioned beekeeping more than I thought. I signed up for their annual two-day beekeeping workshop and was hooked. 

Before I knew it, I had ordered two new nucs (mini, starter hives) and was building beehives and frames. The only problem: where to put them? I was wary of placing the hives in my yard as I wanted to avoid any repercussions from bees buzzing around neighbors’ yards and the possibility of stings! 

Luckily, I was discussing the impending bee arrival with a friend of mine who works at a local private school. He mentioned that the head of the middle school science department might be interested in having the hives on their campus. The students were studying pollinators and a beehive might add value to their education and help with the gardens they were maintaining. He was correct. The school was excited about the idea and graciously agreed to host my hives in exchange for an occasional presentation to the students and a modest honey donation. In the spring of 2012, I met with the grounds crew to determine the best spot for the hives. They’ve been there ever since.  

Where did the name Crown City Apiaries come from?

Short answer: It’s based on Clockwork Angels, a novel by Neil Peart.

Long Answer: (Nerd Alert!) While Neil Peart was a writer of novels and travel books, he is much better known as the drummer and lyricist for the band Rush. I’m a big Rush fan. About the time my hives were about to arrive, I was reading Clockwork Angels, a dystopian sci-fi novel in which the world is “run” by a man called the Watchmaker. He lives in the capital city of Crown City. The Watchmaker is also a beekeeper. The re-affirming phrase of their world order is: “As it should be.”

Sometimes, the universe just speaks to you.