A New Job and New Bees

By Ryan Nolles, Customer Service Representative at Betterbee

Many paths can lead one to love and keep bees. Mine started young, growing up with a mother who worked for the Department of Environmental Conservation. I found myself immersed in nature from a young age.

Fast forward to a couple years ago when I moved back from Maine where I had lived for nearly a decade. There I worked on countless farms and agricultural projects, but eventually found myself ready to come home and start putting roots in my own soil, literally.

I moved into a farmhouse on family land and spent a summer as a farm hand at one of New York State’s first Hemp Pilot Research Farms. The following summer I launched my own farm, No-Mo' Farm Co, the name representing the two last names of the partners involved, Nolles and Morrison. We eagerly jumped off the deep end, growing over 200 varieties of vegetables. We also participated in the New York State Hemp Research Pilot Program with over 5 acres of hemp in our first year. Yet I knew I was still looking for something different.

Then I found Betterbee. I wasn't even looking for a job at the time, but an email caught my eye, one that simply read, "Betterbee is hiring!" It seemed right up my alley and I had my resume ready to go that morning and was interviewed the same day. I was thrilled to get such an amazing opportunity. And then came the bees. Things could only get better.

I started with a single wooden hive and an overwintered colony that was generously donated to my farm. I was also given some polystyrene BeeMax equipment, so I was ready for more. That turned out to be a good thing, because swarm season arrived.

Just a few months into my time at Betterbee, I was offered not one, but two additional swarms of bees. I was fortunate to have the equipment for them ready to go. The single hive in my bee yard quickly became three and I felt like I was off to the races. Little did I know, a fourth colony was just over the horizon. A generous couple in a nearby town had a bear visit their hives and were seeking an immediate home for the one that had survived; it was a new hive started this year with a package of Italian bees. I gladly picked up the pieces and brought the hive home, where it continues to thrive.

Now I find myself, after just six months, with four colonies and one of the most interesting jobs I've ever had. The boundless amount of learning is sure to keep my interest for years to come and I see my apiary as a key functional piece of my farm. While working as a Customer Service Representative at Betterbee, I have experienced an accelerated learning process and expect to continue to grow my apiary, in the years to come.

I feel very fortunate to find myself in the position I am today, knowing that this adventure has only just begun.