The Beeswax

We started keeping bees around ten years ago when my dad and Chief Beekeeper Bill Vondrasek (old) bought them as a Christmas present for my brother (13) and me (10).

Shortly after, my brother decided to try and pet the bees. This was in character.

His time as a beekeeper was short-lived, but my dad and I pressed forward for a couple years. Though I wasn't subject to the same courage as my brother, I threw up the white flag after being stung in the face five times. Whining was my specialty. This unfortunately left my dad alone to build the hives.

Hives come and go, and progress is certainly not linear, but over the years Beekeeper Bill increased his family of bees. Disease, cold, and other factors impact hive health and Beekeeper Bill deftly maneuvered through these obstacles. The real trouble was the regulatory environment.

Beekeeper Bill fought valiantly against Chief Marketing Officer Anne Palmer (my mom, his wife) to increase the amount of hives. Mom didn't want the whole backyard swarming with bees and represented our security detail, Michu, due to the fact that she can't talk and is a dog. She also doesn't like the bees.

Eventually, the Great Compromise of 2021 was agreed to in which we put four hives in another location in Loch Raven, bringing us to nine hives.

Chief Marketing Officer Anne Palmer reached many of you, and got our first customers to try our honey. She is the reason you all get to have honey, and we get to have bees.

I have gotten more involved with the bees and decided to bring new things to come...

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- Roy Vondrasek, CEO and Associate Beekeeper

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