Tools and Techniques for Beekeeping at Scale in Coastal Humboldt, California

I have been keeping bees since 2022. In 2025 I shifted my focus to beekeeping at scale with the goal of creating a profitable business that balances the care each colony receives with the bottom line a business depends on. As the number of hives has grown from 10 to 50+ colonies, my strategy has shifted from highly attentive backyard beekeeping techniques to a more commercialized approach. Along the way I have implemented various tools and technologies to streamline in-person inspections, monitor the hives from afar, and ultimately guide decision-making in a more practical and efficient manner. Recently I have employed BroodMinder sensors to better facilitate the process. This presentation will explore my experiences building an entry-level beekeeping business that I hope will serve as a pillar of my permaculture farm.

About our speaker:

I was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and moved to the United States at a young age. My youth was spent in a multitude of urban and rural areas across Michigan, Alabama, and South Carolina. I was raised to explore and respect nature wherever my family lived—whether in the backyard garden, nearby forests, or on weekend trips outside the cities we called home. Exposure to urban food deserts and commercial agricultural products in each of these places inspired me to develop and support local food systems that reduce reliance on industrialized agriculture.

At Clemson University I pursued Plant and Environmental Sciences with a concentration in Agronomy. My intention was to build a career that would allow me to work outdoors while providing services and producing plant and animal products in a sustainable manner. While completing my undergraduate degree, I interned at the UC Davis Plant Pathology Lab, where I developed a protocol to coat chickpeas with native rhizobacteria in order to reduce African farmers’ reliance on agrochemical fertilizers. During this project I developed an appreciation for precision agriculture and the impressive foodscape that surrounded me. Shortly after graduating, I decided to relocate to the area.

In 2017 I accepted a position as an Agronomic Scientist at one of the first large-scale cannabis farms in Yolo County. From there I followed the cannabis culture to Humboldt, California, where I put down roots in 2019. Since then I have acquired property and begun developing a farm where I aspire to showcase regionally adapted permaculture systems. My hope is to demonstrate novel ways we can form healthy relationships with our flora, fauna, food, and local markets in order to build stronger, more self-sufficient rural communities.