Santa Barbara beekeepers discuss value of honey bees at annual Harvest Festival
Beekeepers welcomed the public to the annual Harvest Festival at an urban farmstead in downtown Santa Barbara.
The beekeepers had no trouble sharing their love for their favorite pollinator.
“I love bees. I love honey. I figure if I’m going to eat the honey then I ought to give something to the bees,” beekeeper Ann Dusenberry said.
The festival served as an opportunity for beekeepers to share with the community the value of honey bees.
“Today’s opportunity is to become aware of the bees. Please don’t use pesticides around your house for one. Plant a bee-friendly garden,” beekeeper Tom Rem said.
Rem explained the importance of bees in our daily lives.
“The reason is that they are very vital to our food source because they pollinate over 70 percent of the food we eat so every third bite that we eat is probably pollinated by a bee,” Rem said.
Rem said the bee shortage is not just throughout the region but all over North America.
“I think Albert Einstein said after the bee is gone, humans will survive another four years,” Dusenberry said.
The Harvest Festival raises funds to provide honey bee presentations in area classrooms and to support local backyard beekeepers with beekeeping classes and community.
KEYT 2019
