Economic Growth Guatemala Project #19693

Grow an Indigenous Youths' Beekeeping Cooperative

by Appropriate Technology Collaborative

Grow an Indigenous Youths' Beekeeping Cooperative

Project Report | Jun 9, 2015
They sold out of honey!

By Monika Goforth | Guatemala Programs Director

the bee boys harvesting honey for sale

Guess what?

Our community Permaculture Day market not only brought together our farming cooperatives to share knowledge and experience, it not only raised funds for appropriate farming technology, it also gave the San Pablo Beekeepers an awesome sales and networking venue.

And they totally Sold Out!

Jeremias, leader of the ¨Bee Boys,¨as I chummily like to call them, brought in the last bottles of honey from harvest season, and totally sold out!! ...I think it´s because of his charm... He talked on and on about the health benefits of bees pollen with Mujeres Oxlajuj E Amaranth Cooperative. They loved him too.

It was an uplifting day for the Bee Boys, though selling out of product doesn't mean they're exactly getting rich. Unfortunately, over the last year, the Bee Boys have lost over 20 hives, so production has been sparce. They are raising questions about why their colonies are diminishing and are ready to take action on a solution. Some ideas they have about the problem:

A lack of fodder/flowering trees during last year's rainy season required the Boys to supplement their hives with sugarwater, so some hives left for 'greener pastures'
A viral disease is impacting some hives
Pesticides used in neighbouring coffee plantations may be affecting behaviors
Disturbance of the bees in their hives due to their current method of maintenance and harvest may add to their other stresses.

Thanks to YOU, we're ready to start solving these problems. The Bee Boys' first training is coming up next month!

Thanks for being awesome,

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