In-person: Build a Comfort Hive
June 28, 2025 • 12pm-4pm
Comfort hives are valued by small-scale beekeepers because of their simplicity and flexibility. Participants will build and assemble a Comfort hive, with the option to take one home at cost. Additionally, we will learn about beehive ecosystems to understand the how to mimic the interior of a wild hive.
Comfort hives are designed by Sam Comfort of Anarchy Apiaries as alternative to the Langstroth, which retails $200 and prioritizes massifying and commodifying a beehive. Comfort hives mimic the size and flow of a wild nest and cost $5–$50 to construct, when using locally-sourced and scrap material.
Workshop is free. Comfort hives available for material cost of $40. No building experience necessary.
Past Events
Online: Biomimicry Beekeeping
March 5, 2025 • 5pm-7pm
In this knowledge share, we look to the remarkable intelligence of nature by studying how rewilded honey bees survive and thrive without human intervention. This exploration will delve into the fascinating history of how honey bees arrived in the Americas and how the industrial practices of modern beekeeping have become unsustainable—both for the bees and for the ecosystems they support.
Alysia will share her experience with small-scale beekeeping practices at Backland NY, focusing on biomimicry and natural beekeeping principles. Key methods include: (1) Swarm-baiting, (2) DIY top-bar hives, (3) Freeform honeycomb, (4) Minimal inspections, (5) Treatment-free hives, (6) Chemical-free lands, (7) Widely-spaced bee yard, (8) Stationary bee yards.
By exploring these methods, we aim to shift the focus from a human-centered view of beekeeping to one that respects the intelligence and autonomy of the honey bee. The honey bee is not merely a passive worker in the industrial agricultural system—rather, they are a complex, self-regulating organism capable of thriving independently when provided with the right conditions. Through rewilding, bees can adapt to local ecosystems, increase genetic diversity, and re-establish resilience in the face of environmental pressures.
This knowledge share offers an important perspective on alternatives to conventional beekeeping, rooted in the ecological wisdom of the Northeast beekeeping community, and invites us to reconsider how we coexist with and care for these essential pollinators.
BIPOC Beekeeper Gathering
July 27, 2024 • 10am-7pm
Together, we will explore regenerative bee stewardship in comparison to the million-dollar beekeeping industry of today. Participants will interact with the living Honey bee and learn how they self-sustain in the wild. This event will also demonstrate how to use a Langstroth hive, how to ferment honey to craft a mead beverage, and how to hand dip beeswax candles. Led by Island Bee Project, Suanny Upegui, Dara Nicole Boyd, Alysia Mazzella.
Intro to Beekeeping
July 29, 2023 • 12pm-2:30pm
As with many agriculture professions in America, diversity is lacking. The goal of this annual beekeeping class is to redistribute the skill and resources of beekeeping to Black people, Indigenous people and people of color. Participants will interact with the Honey bee, explore the interior of the hive, learn the byproducts, how to earn a living, revisit the history of beekeeping, and leave with an essential understanding of the resources needed to begin beekeeping. This class is led by Alysia Mazzella.
Opening Day
May 20, 2023 • 10am-3pm
Join us for our second annual Opening Day. We will prepare the land for another growing season. All are welcome!
Potluck lunch is included. You are welcome to bring nourishing food that is ready to eat, or ready to be reheated. Please bring a reusable water bottle.
Registration is required. This event includes physical labor like digging and heavy lifting. Please wear shoes and clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. Depending on the weather that day, the environment may be muddy, wet or warm. Physical labor is not required to attend.
Intro to Beekeeping
June 26, 2022 • 12pm-2:30pm
An introductory class for Black, Indigenous and people of color interested in beekeeping. Together, we’ll explore the interior of the Langstroth hives of our educational apiary. Participants will interact with the Honey bee, learn the five byproducts of the hive, revisit the history of beekeepers of color, and leave with an essential understanding of the time, effort and resources needed to protect and support the brilliant Honey bee. This introductory class is designed to equip BIPOC with know-how and resources to establish an apiary of their own. Ideal if you’re interested in beekeeping for hobby or for profit. This class is led by Alysia Mazzella.
Opening Day
May 21, 2022 • 10am-4pm
Volunteer and learn with us! While some farm projects have been established for many years, we invite you to assist in and witness the unfolding of our young land project. We are installing fence posts and plant beds on a one-acre field.
Potluck lunch is included. You are welcome to bring homemade food that is ready to eat, or ready to be reheated. Please include a list of ingredients to accommodate the diets of others.
All are welcome! This event includes physical labor like digging and heavy lifting. Please wear shoes and clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. Depending on the weather that day, the environment may be muddy, wet or warm. Physical labor is not required to attend.