Urban Beekeeping: The story begins...
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Mojgan continues with her efforts at urban beekeeping. However with the trials and tribulations of the incompatibility with certain elements of the prophylactic culture that many Americans have grown accustomed to in their sterile suburban lives, it has not always been easy.  Fear tends to dominate some peoples life style and in their decision making, while their connection to nature is increasing being diminished and replaced by various forms of more indoor and less physical activities. Dependency on over-application of pesticides, fear of what is not understood, or rationalized to the extreme over other dangers that are orders of magnitude higher or not as convenient to formally recognize, all tend to work against the bees. 

By writing this article and telling this story I hope to improve the perception in some people's minds on the role of beekeeping, sympathy to bees, and the value they offer to our environment.  I believe there is hope for this trend as a growing backyard activity, as I hear there are also many neighborhoods and towns that are much more progressive than Sacramento County and open about beekeeping, who see the benefits and value they bring.  As a hobby it can be quite facinating, wholesome, and therapeutic.  In fact, in some places the competition for bee foraging areas between bee keepers is more intense as the popularity of this form of agriculture/livestock has grown. 

One upstart beekeeper from the forward looking community of Nevada City mentioned to me that there are over a thousand people in that area alone which are raising bees.  We thanked him as he and his girlfriend loaded up a colony of bees in his pickup truck that we sold him, so he can start up his own endeavor as a beekeeper and continue the cycle.  

 by Stephen Fischer