New York Legalizes Urban Bee Keeping
New York City legalized urban bee keeping this Month (just over a week ago).
There had been strong bee keeping movements `underground` in Brooklyn and other areas of the city until this week. `Underground` locations were frequently on the top of buildings where dedicated bee keepers have been creating honey for years. Each hive can produce as much as $100 pounds of honey in a year.
A good friend keeps bees North of Toronto. The amount of work he puts in is considerable. I was surprised to find out that to purchase a queen bee is about $150 and can come from anywhere in the world. Different regions produce different Queens and different Queens produce different styles of honey. It`s a fascinating process.
I`m not sure that Toronto every realized that making this illegal was an option. The Royal York Hotel announced it`s own apiary in 2008 and continues to produce honey for patrons and diners within the hotel. They are home to approximately 40,000 bees in the middle of Toronto.
New York also allows for urban chicken cooping – unlimited hens but no roosters. A lot of US cities are allowing urban chickens though we are following slower in the North. A good friend, who is a rural chicken farmer, pointed out that if chickens are left to live to a natural death, they will live for years past their egg-laying state. This could produce a heck of a dilemma for those who are not aware and raising them as pets.
The argument to legalize roof top (and backyard) coops stems from the hardiness of the chicken, the relative ease of care and the quality, health, ethics, freshness and feeling it comes from producing and consuming your own eggs.
There are many arguments on both sides of legalizing bees and chickens. I know that, emotionally, I am 100% for it – I don`t know enough to completely understand the risks and benefits to truly weigh in as any expert. I grew up in areas with bee hives, chickens and rabbits (in an urban setting) and found it exciting and fascinating. There seems to be a lot of information and misinformation on the Internet. I hope that we can continue logical conversations that, hopefully, bring more solutions like this to our cities.
What are your thoughts?
Comments
That’s awesome! I want to keep bees in my backyard too!!
I wish I could keep bees here in Toronto! I’m not sure how true it is, but I’ve heard you’re not allowed to in a residential area. Yet, at least.
PJ,
I am not certain – have heard conflicting info.
I know that bees are not legal in some of the suburbs (perhaps all) – and know of a few hidden hives within. I largely suspect a hive would not be welcomed in most residential areas (legally or otherwise) at this point. It’s an interesting debate that I have huge emotional response to without knowing the whole facts. I beleive, in all of my heart, that these ideasmake great sense – and I beleive that because some amazingly smart people who know more details, beleive in these two ideas as possible solutions to real problems.
I know there are smart people who claim there are bigger problems as well though – time to do more homework.
Joel
this is great. we need more people doing this.
although small nitpick, the bees create the honey, not the beekeepers.
Melissa,
I love it. You are so, so right about that – total toe stub on my behalf there and laughing at the sentence I wrote. Good catch – and thanks for making my subconcious mind concious!
Am chuckling at the thought that a beekeper would create honey.
I was so excited when they legalized this! A friend of mine has a hive in Connecticut at her mother’s place but she lives in Manhattan and we are talking about putting a hive on the roof of my building in Brooklyn. we just need to make sure we can do it right since she won’t be living there and i would not know what i was doing!