How we started
Almost everybody has been to a theme park at some point in their lives. Between all the rollercoasters and pivoting, turning, speeding rides, people find themselves having fun all the while being violently thrown side to side, upside down, to and from. So that begs the question... If we love that concept so much, why do we run in fear when it happens in our personal lives?
We all know what it's like to face the unknown, make difficult decisions based on our past, present and ultimately future, the potential fate of those around us, those who depend on or care about us. Nobody wants to, but we all have to.
Have you ever seen how a newly formed bee swarm appears? Chaotic and without order. Are they coming or going? Felt a tang of fear perhaps? Definitely confusion. The sure question of "What next?"
And then the dust settles and the air stills, and slowly you start to notice order, direction, a march in one determined direction. Everything makes sense. And so, beautifully, out of impossible chaos, comes something so profound that it's hard to comprehend.
Well, that's exactly how Honey and Harvest came to be...
I (Ryan Rynders, Founder of Honey and Harvest) spent my young adult life investing my brains' capacity and energy into the scientific, yet extremely practical, studies of Nature Conservation. Once qualified, I found myself thrusted into the ever 'rocking' world of marine conservation. Between that and swiveling my head in the direction of wildlife guiding, the ever-famous Covid pandemic struck. Chances are that if you're reading this, you're old enough to remember it. With the tourism industry booming post-pandemic, I seized my opportunity and jumped headfirst into wildlife guiding.
Wildlife guiding was to be my ultimate future, working my way up the ranks, furthering my knowledge and studies, a foot in the door at the Kruger National Park. Except it wasn't...
I left guiding because I needed some "fresh air". Packed my bags and moved to Switzerland and found work. It was there that I met an amazing community of people, learnt a million and one things about both the world and me and started to believe that that's where I belonged. I fit right in, learnt the language (mostly).
Here we go, ready for the rollercoaster? For the bee swarm over head?
I missed home... Yes, included in that pang of pain, was the cliche family time and proximity to them. But more powerful was the desire and need, to say frankly, for South African culture. South African people are the warmest, most welcoming people I have experienced (and I have met many nationalities via guiding and travelling). The culture is one of resilience and adaptability. Possessing a raw, sometimes too raw, and authentic connection to nature and one another. And above all, I wanted to give back to my land in any small and humble way that I could.
But how? How does all of this connect to bees?
I had the fortunate opportunity to learn a little bit about these tiny, humble, little buzzing critters which so drastically impact our livelihoods, from a friend during some time I spent on the coast in Mossel Bay (My marine research days). It kickstarted an interest that I never knew would have an impact later on down the line.
In a hive, there is a social structure. Similiar to the way we know the world to operate. People have their roles, and all roles contribute in order to ensure a healthy, functioning system. The Queen bee and her eggs are the life force and glue of the hive, the literal future. The drones (Only males) are the reason the Queen bee can mate in the first place. The workers bees (Only female) are the power of the hive. Without them, there would be no nectar, pollen and ultimately honey. They guard the hive from intruder bees with their lives and ensure that no pests are welcome within. Just as every individual plays a role in the hives success, no role on its own is very useful.
Beekeeping and bee conservation is one of those roles...
One of my Christian values was probably what drove me toward conservation in the first place. The role of protecting and stewarding what God so graciously gave us to marvel at. To become a caretaker of the natural world. And while the world is already abundantly filled with conservation heroes and heroines, all of whom have answered the same call, I wanted to also give back in my own humble, bit sized, way.
I know the journey ahead will be a long one, wrought with many obstacles and challenges, but the joy of being even just a small part, in such a large picture, is what overcomes those setbacks.
So, here's to that rollercoaster...
God bless.
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