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The National Honey Board reported that 60 percent of the United States honey production comes from 1,600 commercial beekeeping operations.
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Beekeeping Grows in Popularity at Work Camp
By Joe Harless
Starting from a volunteer's suggestion, keeping bees has become an unexpectedly popular work program with the staff and inmates at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center.
Located in the Capitol Forest of Littlerock, Wash., the facility rests on a 38-acre site leased from the Department of Natural Resources. The 400 inmates assigned to the camp perform numerous forestry duties, such as tree planting, land clearing, forest fire fighting, stream restoration, development of parks and trails and other work projects.
In addition to these duties, a few of the inmates have been taught to tend and harvest honey from a small number of wooden beehives.
"Beekeeping fits in with this," said Thomas L. Matthews, an advisor working at Cedar Creek. "The offenders have been eager to work with the bees."
Already known for its composting and gardening programs, the idea to add a beekeeping program came from volunteer worker Gary Wheaton. Matthews said that Wheaton kept some bees on his own and had suggested it as a supplemental program for the inmates, and the staff of Cedar Creek liked the idea.
"The volunteers got involved with the staff and developed a real passion for this," Matthews said, adding they would go home and research beekeeping and return the next day with more ideas. "They would find stuff online and bring it in."
Starting in 2006 with two donated hives kept in a 10-foot-by-10-foot fenced-in area, the staff taught two inmates how to tend to the hives and purchased two beekeeper suits at $100 each for the workers. From their first harvest last year, the inmates collected 11 gallons of honey from the hives. While the inmates enjoyed the majority of the harvest, they set aside several gallons to be handed out to visitors.
While the hives have become popular at the center, it remains unknown if the beekeeping skills could translate into marketable job skills once the inmates leave. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is estimated that 95 percent of beekeepers in the U.S. only do so as a hobby. However, the National Honey Board reported that 60 percent of the United States honey production comes from 1,600 commercial beekeeping operations.
While Matthews said the he could not elaborate on the beekeeping market, he said he had been very interested in the therapeutic aspect of the work.
"It gives them something to talk about," Matthews said, adding "more honey is good. Everybody loved it."
The training came in handy for the camp last summer, when Matthews said a wild swarm of bees flew over the camp and settled down just outside the fence. The two beekeepers managed to capture the swarm, turning them into two new hives.
Only two inmates currently work the four hives, but the idea of working with the bees has inspired several other inmates to express interest in learning the program. Matthews said several others have already put their names down for the next program.
While the beekeepers work under supervision when they leave the campgrounds, Matthews said they have had some concerns over wild animals taking an interest in the hives. Bears do live in the woods and have been spotted by the camp staff before, but so far none have tried to break into the hives to steal honey.
Since the program started last year, Matthews said no one has been stung, no animals have tried to break in and none of the hives have collapsed.
Matthews added he would like to see the program grow further and possibly branch out to other work camps throughout the country. He said he would like to work with nearby Evergreen State College to study how the beekeeping program affects the inmates, including their behavior and whether they would be more open to other camp programs.
"We might be able to pass it on if proven [it works well]," Matthews said.
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By Joe Harless
Starting from a volunteer's suggestion, keeping bees has become an unexpectedly popular work program with the staff and inmates at the Cedar Creek Corrections Center.
Located in the Capitol Forest of Littlerock, Wash., the facility rests on a 38-acre site leased from the Department of Natural Resources. The 400 inmates assigned to the camp perform numerous forestry duties, such as tree planting, land clearing, forest fire fighting, stream restoration, development of parks and trails and other work projects.
In addition to these duties, a few of the inmates have been taught to tend and harvest honey from a small number of wooden beehives.
"Beekeeping fits in with this," said Thomas L. Matthews, an advisor working at Cedar Creek. "The offenders have been eager to work with the bees."
Already known for its composting and gardening programs, the idea to add a beekeeping program came from volunteer worker Gary Wheaton. Matthews said that Wheaton kept some bees on his own and had suggested it as a supplemental program for the inmates, and the staff of Cedar Creek liked the idea.
"The volunteers got involved with the staff and developed a real passion for this," Matthews said, adding they would go home and research beekeeping and return the next day with more ideas. "They would find stuff online and bring it in."
Starting in 2006 with two donated hives kept in a 10-foot-by-10-foot fenced-in area, the staff taught two inmates how to tend to the hives and purchased two beekeeper suits at $100 each for the workers. From their first harvest last year, the inmates collected 11 gallons of honey from the hives. While the inmates enjoyed the majority of the harvest, they set aside several gallons to be handed out to visitors.
While the hives have become popular at the center, it remains unknown if the beekeeping skills could translate into marketable job skills once the inmates leave. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it is estimated that 95 percent of beekeepers in the U.S. only do so as a hobby. However, the National Honey Board reported that 60 percent of the United States honey production comes from 1,600 commercial beekeeping operations.
While Matthews said the he could not elaborate on the beekeeping market, he said he had been very interested in the therapeutic aspect of the work.
"It gives them something to talk about," Matthews said, adding "more honey is good. Everybody loved it."
The training came in handy for the camp last summer, when Matthews said a wild swarm of bees flew over the camp and settled down just outside the fence. The two beekeepers managed to capture the swarm, turning them into two new hives.
Only two inmates currently work the four hives, but the idea of working with the bees has inspired several other inmates to express interest in learning the program. Matthews said several others have already put their names down for the next program.
While the beekeepers work under supervision when they leave the campgrounds, Matthews said they have had some concerns over wild animals taking an interest in the hives. Bears do live in the woods and have been spotted by the camp staff before, but so far none have tried to break into the hives to steal honey.
Since the program started last year, Matthews said no one has been stung, no animals have tried to break in and none of the hives have collapsed.
Matthews added he would like to see the program grow further and possibly branch out to other work camps throughout the country. He said he would like to work with nearby Evergreen State College to study how the beekeeping program affects the inmates, including their behavior and whether they would be more open to other camp programs.
"We might be able to pass it on if proven [it works well]," Matthews said.
Back to November Table of Contents
