These beekeepers are the kindest most generous and welcoming people you'll meet. They are so knowledgeable about bees and beekeeping and are willing to patiently share their knowledge with you... even if you've done something stupid with your bees and are about to have a panic attack... or maybe because you're about to have a panic attack and they'd rather you didn't have it in their store. They will literally hold your hand (with consent) in their apiary while showing you how to properly inspect a frame to find the teeny, tiny eggs you've been looking for. And just like that, you'll never be scared to hold a frame of bees without gloves on again. ;)
The LACBA Beekeeping 101 class series they run is excellent. Keith is an awesome and inspiring teacher and a kind and funny dude, Danny is extremely helpful with answering questions at post-class meetings, Robin is so sweet and wonderful and has walked me through all kinds of beekeeping equipment and helped me make informed decisions about what would work best for my honey harvesting needs, Gabe showed me and my kid the observation hive and has been so lovely and helpful with gathering supplies and loading gear into our car, Jen talked me off a cliff when I was freaking out over a backyard swarm and trying to decide if I should capture it and add a third hive to my backyard or let them go... after talking to Jen and Keith, I felt confident enough to capture them by myself, but by the time I got back from TVH, the feral galzzz were gone from my tree. Which leads me to the first rule of beekeeping: Bees will do what they want, not what you want them to do. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to convince them.
There are other wonderful people who work at TVH and have been part of our new adventures in beekeeping, but I don't know all their names yet. Also, the Topanga Nursery is excellent... I bought everything I needed to make a whiskey half barrel watering hole my bees love, which has evolved into its own thriving ecosystem and aquatic snail paradise. Just add water and some water plants and let the magic happen. Your bees will thank you and leave your neighbors' pools alone. Pro tip: Plant some snacks around your watering hole. Bees love African basil, and these folks carry it. Shout out to the super nice plant expert who helped me at Topanga Nursery and told me about African basil pesto. So flavorful! One day I'll learn your name.
Could this review be any longer? Welp, I'm not on social media, and you're looking at almost two seasons of good vibes that just got uncapped during the honey harvest.
Lastly, because show and tell is the best, here's photographic evidence of the joy The Valley Hive has brought to my family's life. From our first jar of harvested honey (extracted last week!) with our little galzzz 's hives behind it (got all our bee boxes, frames and stands at TVH), to grilled chicken thighs made with TVH's Hot Honey (easy and delicious!), to the bees' watering hole. Yes, I also uploaded a picture of fruit salad. Why? Because the magical shimmery part is honey.
I encourage you to try all of The Valley Hive's honeys. My favorites are their avocado honey and their orange blossom honey, my husband is big on their barley honey, and our son, Winnie the Pooh, says he "likes ALL the hunny equally." That said, each one is unique and incredible in its own way, like a little flavor poem for your taste buds. See for yourself! read more