Urban agriculture practioneers do more than grow food, when they grow organically or naturally, they also help to restore the ecosystems they inhabit. For example, the news over the past two years or so has carried stories about the plight of the honey bee.
Urban gardens can attract honey and other bees, and in fact, in many cases, must attract them if the plants they are growing are going to produce flowers and set fruit.
Honey bees, in particular, are vital to our food supply system because over one third of the food we eat regulalry relies upon them for pollination services.
In short, honey bees provide a fundamental service to both growers and consumers; they pollinate the plants and make it possible for the plant to produce food.
The food selection in your favourite grocery store or at the farmers market would be noticeably different if the bees no longer worked their trade,
The honey bee is a major pollinator of many of our food crops, almonds, apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupes, cherries, cranberries, cucumbers, sunflowers, watermelon and many other crops all rely on honey bees for pollination.
People who are interested in keeping bees need to be allowed to do so. There will need to be a few basic rules in place. There are models that other cities can draw upon. For instance, in Burnaby, British Columbia, the following regulations must be met:
1- No more than two beehives in the rear yard of a residential lot that has a minimum lot area of 557.4 square metres and width of 15 metres and is occupied by a single family dwelling.
2- The beehive structures must be set back a minimum of 7.5 m from any property line or placed a minimum of 2.5 m above ground or abutting a solid fence or hedge that is 1.8 m tall and extends a minimum of six metres along the property line.
Bees provide us with an essential service and bee keeping is an important economic and agricultural activity. Keeping honey bees in the city is not dangerous and if clear rules and proper training are provided the results will be rewarding for all.
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