| How did Hunter Apiaries begin? It all began with two of the finest southern gentlemen of the "old school" who had a passion for gardening. The first is Marcus Emory Lee. The second is A.L. Thompson. Marcus Lee, who in the southern tradition went by Emory, was a wonderful gardener and story teller. You could sit in the Lee's green metal chairs under the shade trees and listen to the stories Emory would tell of how he used to live. He was also a master gardener and was so humble that he would never take credit for such an honor. For Emory a vegetable garden was a form of art. It was also a source of income. He put his daughter through college on the produce of his large garden. It was Emory who instilled in Karl his love for vegetable gardening. Emory is no longer with us. We often wonder if his garden is now overgrown, but we know he is happily tending another garden. Several years later some of the gardeners of our acquaintance were discussing their garden failures. It seemed over the previous years theirs were not doing as well as in the past. Karl looked into the problem and polled the gardeners as to the reasons why. Only A.L. Thompson's garden was doing well. Karl soon realized that A.L had six bee hives sitting at the end of his garden. This realization led Karl to discover the tragic decline of the honey bee, thus effecting the pollination of gardens. Do you remember when you were young and could not walk across the lawn in bare feet for fear of being stung? Now it is rare to see honey bees. Karl realized if he was going to be a successful gardener, he would need to become a beekeeper. A.L gave Karl some used equipment. He found other equipment in mail order catalogs and through the internet. Karl purchased a package and a nucleus hive. He could not keep his hands off them so they promptly died. A.L.helped out by providing Karl with a couple of swarms. Karl took a short course at the local beekeepers association and then attended the Georgia Master Beekeepers course. The bee colonies do not die as quickly now. Karl did not know how his wife Beth would take to the bees. It turns out she loves them as much as he does. To her the bees are beautiful. Beth especially enjoys the honey harvest and being creative with the beeswax from the hives. Beth and Karl now care for their bees in the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia near Pulaski. |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Hunter Apiaries 2111 Pleasant Hill Drive Pulaski, Virginia 24301 Email: apiscustos@hunterapiaries.com |
| About Hunter Apiaries |