Jennifer Ford, Co-Owner of Bees of the Woods Apiary
Name: Jennifer Ford
Occupation: Science teacher and co-owner of Bees of the Woods Apiary
Place of Residence: Outside of Altamont, New York
Personal History:
Jennifer grew up on a hobby farm in Galway, NY, where she helped her parents and sister raise chickens, turkeys, goats, and the occasional cow or pig. Her sister and she also helped out with an extensive vegetable garden, as well as other homesteading projects, such as baking bread, canning and pickling, chopping and stacking wood, and candle-making.
Combining her love of the outdoors, science, and helping others, Jennifer went on to obtain degrees in biology and education, and became a science teacher.
Beekeeping Background:
Jennifer first became interested in beekeeping through candle-making. She learned how to make beeswax candles from her mother, who had always purchased beeswax from local beekeepers. Deciding that she would like to be able to harvest her own beeswax, Jennifer took some beekeeping classes, and purchased two starter hives. Jennifer continues to take classes through local and regional beekeeping organizations, and completed the apprentice level course of the Master Beekeeper program at Cornell University. Over the past six years, Jennifer and her husband have expanded the apiary from two to 18 beehives, and share what they have learned about beekeeping with others through mentoring programs and presentations.
Current Projects:
Jennifer and her husband own and run Bees of the Woods Apiary and Mallard Pond Maple, producing and selling honey, beeswax and maple products.
Other Fun Facts: When Jennifer is not running the apiary or helping with maple sugaring, she enjoys gardening, playing with her rescued shelter dog, Abby, and downhill skiing.
More Places to Find Jennifer on the Web:
You can learn more about Bees of the Woods Apiary and beekeeping in general, at our website, www.BeesOfTheWoods.com, or on the Bees of the Woods Facebook page.
