Recently, Portland-based grocer New Seasons Market introduced colonies of honeybee hives on the roof of its Happy Valley store. Aware of the honeybee’s plight and decrease in populations, New Seasons Market wanted to be part of the solution by raising bees and educating customers. This team of 50,000 bee workers forage for nectar and pollen, and produce honey, which will eventually be available in stores.
This project is a team effort: The hives were donated by New Seasons Market’s longtime partner GloryBee. Two nucleus hives came from local apiary Foothills Honey in Colton, Oregon and were installed by veteran beekeeper Damian Magista, owner of Bee Local. James Fitzpatrick, a New Seasons Market staff member who works at the Happy Valley store’s “Solutions” counter, is an amateur beekeeper and will work closely with Magista. Through this partnership, Fitzpatrick will earn his master beekeeper certification.
Through daily observation and a bee-cam, the New Seasons team will watch the bee boxes closely and, assuming the colonies thrive, will install two additional hives at another store this spring.
For the whole article about bees on the roof at New Seasons Market, click here.
If you’d like to know how to start an urban beehive in your own yard, click here.
If you’d like honey bees on your property, but don’t want to do the work yourself, check out ‘host a beehive’ programs in your area. Here are a few examples of programs available:
