Apis Apex? We Couldn't Be Without Bees

ReTreeUS co-founders Richard Hodges and Moriah Salter have used the expression, "We couldn't be without bees" with thousands of students to illustrate the importance of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to human food production.

As our research continues and we design the educational signage for our orchards, as we watch our trees and produce grow this spring...the magnitude of that statement becomes clearer. Along with their importance, we should also be well-aware of their peril. The recent loss of bees, writes Dr. Tammy Horn in a NY Times article, is "attributed to a combination of factors: Colony Collapse Disorder, mites, deforestation and industrial agriculture."

You may notice that at least the latter two of the factors Dr. Horn lists are entirely human-related.

But this blog was never meant to be a guilt-trip.

Humans are at least as capable of creating positive change as they have been of cutting down trees or industrializing the food system. The mission of ReTreeUS is to help children, families, and communities understand what they can do.

Next week, we will open our farm stand, which not only supports chemical-free food production (good for humans and bees), but also provides produce and literature to families who wouldn't otherwise have access to those assets.

Information about local food, bees, and growing the plants we provide will be available at the farm stand door, with more information on our website: www.retreeus.org. 

Our farm stand is open to the public and utilizes a donation-based honor's system. We believe that ethics and generosity are as important to human existence as bees...and that is saying quite a lot, considering how we feel about the mellifera species.

We will list a suggested price for our fruit trees, strawberry plants, squashes, kale, turnips, beets, and so forth, based on what it takes to grow those nutritious items organically. Those who can pay full price will help fund good food for those who can pay only a quarter, or a dime.

Even those who live far away and can't visit our farm stand help, too. They help by becoming members of our program or by making a one-time donation. They plant a tree. They grow their own food, and teach children to do the same. Every dollar you give, tree you plant, and child you inspire helps ensure that this is neither the apex for bees, nor humans.

Together, we can grow a healthier planet indeed.