New conditions force growth. Growth is never easy or painless. The new conditions in 2020 were a novel coronavirus causing disease across our community. The governor of Washington issued a stay-at-home order. For beekeeping during Covid in Seattle, the practical question was immediate: what does this mean for the bees?
Beekeeping During Covid: What Changed
Beekeeping is usually done with significant distance between the beekeeper and other people. Working hives in backyard locations across Seattle neighborhoods, we were able to continue tending the bees without major disruption. The bees were entirely unaffected by the pandemic. As a result, the hive work itself continued on schedule through spring.
However, marketing changed significantly. The University District Farmers Market closed for several weeks in March and early April. When it reopened on April 18th, it operated with approximately half the usual vendors, and we were invited to participate on a weekly basis rather than holding a permanent slot.
Moving Seattle Urban Honey Online
Our customers found us anyway. We began selling by appointment from our porch, observing social distancing. Additionally, this period pushed us to build what was already overdue: an online store. With help from our son-in-law, Joe Post, we set up our online honey store — so customers could select honey, pay online, and arrange local pickup. New conditions forced growth, and in this case the growth was the Seattle Urban Honey online shop.