Regina family uses backyard beehives to build community

Regina family uses backyard beehives to build community



"When I sit here and the bees are buzzing around, it just feels alive," Jade Benesh says as she describes why she loves working with bees.

Her journey began two years ago, when she was scrolling through YouTube and stumbled upon a video about beekeeping.

It sparked her curiosity, and prompted her to start digging into any bee-related videos, books and articles.

Next came the courses, the in-field training and, eventually, earning her beekeeper's certificate.

Now, she and her husband José Rodríguez, a full-time engineer originally from Monterrey, Mexico, are bringing sustainable honeybee hives to Regina.

José Rodríguez, left, and Jade Benesh display a jar of honey harvested from their local beehives. (Submitted by Jenalene Antony)

They install and maintain the hives, which are placed with a host recipient, in backyards, on balconies, in community gardens, or anywhere else that might take them.

Each beehive, which remains in place all year, is a square wooden box with frames inside that house the bee colony and queen, and hold the honeycomb.

The recipients of the hives pay a monthly or yearly fee and, in exchange, they receive 20 pounds of locally harvested honey, along with many other specialty bee products throughout the year, such as flavoured honey on holidays, beeswax candles or handcrafted soap, all made from products from the beehive.
WATCH | This Regina family's urban bee farm is making more than just honey:




This Regina family's urban bee farm is making more than just honey
4 days ago
What started as bee farming in various backyards in Regina has helped build community in the neighbourhood.

Benesh and Rodríguez do all the maintenance and winterizing, and will eventually harvest the honey for their newly launched business, called La Honey.

"In Mexican culture, you get a nickname, and that's your nickname whether you like it or not," Benesh said. "I always call José 'Honey,' and for about 10 years, I didn't know my nickname was 'La Honey.' That's why I am calling the honey we make, La Honey."
A family affair

The couple's three kids are also learning a lot about bees.

Santiago, 10, says he's never been stung by a bee, or perhaps he's just never felt it.

"My mom said I probably did get stung on my finger. But I just didn't feel it because if the stinger doesn't go in all the way, the venom won't go in, and you won't really feel anything," he said.

Baby brother Roman, 2, is comfortable around bees and likes to play with rocks that sit on the small hives in his own front yard.

Older sister Isis, 13, is less enthusiastic. She's scared of needles and being stung, but her mom hopes that in time, the fear will dissipate.

Santiago Rodríguez, left, and his friend Daniel De La Rosa wear protective bee gear to work with a hive. (Submitted by Jenalene Antony)

Benesh said bees are kind of like "big horses," because it's best to remain calm around them or they may sense your anxiety and get spooked.

But unlike wasps, honeybees are gentle and focused on their work, so getting stung is less of a concern when there are no allergies involved. Honeybees only sting in self-defence, and if their barbed stinger gets stuck in a person's skin, the bee will actually die.

Rodríguez said he's happy his kids can be involved in the bee business because it's setting them up for the future.

"They see Jade working outside, and me helping. For them, it's like going to grow with that. It's going to be part of themselves, right, like when they are adults," the father said.
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Beehive boxes build community

The family is not only building a business, but they are also connecting their community and promoting sustainability at the same time.

Cara Zimmerman is Benesh's friend and neighbour in Regina's Heritage neighbourhood. She said it's great for local gardens to have more pollinators, for many reasons.

"Getting to know your neighbours, being able to share, swapping plants, swapping honey, whatever it might be, I think it just really contributes to so much more culture," Zimmerman said.

Jade Benesh, left, and her friend Cara Zimmerman look at the small beehive boxes in Benesh's front yard. Zimmerman says she loves having more pollinators in the area. (Submitted by Jenalene Antony)

Adam Smith, co-owner of Malty National Brewery in Regina, said he appreciates the bees for their contributions to the beer industry through pollination.

"I mean, without bees, we wouldn't be able to make beer. So, big shout-out to bees," Smith said.

Research shows bees are essential for global food production. About one-third of the world's food crops and 90 per cent of all plants require cross-pollination to thrive.
Lack of bees, pollination limiting crop yields across U.S., B.C., study finds

Smith said he uses honey once or twice a year, when he brews batches of Honey Mead. Honey can also be used as a fermentable sugar, and bees are a source of wild yeast.

"The more we can grow food and things we can use in our urban landscapes is for the best, for sure," Smith said.
Mood boosters

Benesh was diagnosed with ADHD about a year ago, and said at times she has struggled as a parent, a wife and a functioning member of society. But she said being with the bees has been good for her mental health.

"They say it's meditative," she said. "I lose track of time. It's refreshing and it feels like I've accomplished something."

Benesh said the new venture has also brought a renewed sense of joy.

"I'm just so happy," she said. "OK, yeah, I had a baby. Probably some postpartum in there too. But yeah, I don't remember the last time I was like so, so happy."

Jade Benesh works with a beehive. The honey entrepreneur says she’s grateful she can do something she loves and help contribute to the world’s food supply via pollination. (Submitted by Jenalene Antony)
Passion for the future

Benesh is now part of the greater beekeeping community. She often collaborates with other beekeepers when a hive requires a new queen.

"It's really cool to see the queen bee when you see her. She's almost the size of my pinky," she said. "I was like, I saw a queen! I saw a queen!"

The pair hopes to collaborate with other local businesses to create urban harvested honey-infused treats. They've also begun offering uniquely designed memorial hives.

Rodríguez said he's grateful his wife is so passionate about working with bees.

"You never know what's going to happen in the future, right? You cannot depend on someone all the time," he said. "So, growing her own thing makes me feel better."

Rodríguez will continue to work full-time as an engineer, and help with the beehives in his off hours.

Benesh said it feels great knowing her business is impacting her community, and that bees are contributing to the bigger picture when it comes to the world's food supply.

"It is intimidating when you start anything new, and just having cheerleaders behind you, family and friends, really helps. It is creativity; it is caring for something; it's nourishing," she said.