It was a 4-H program in 1973 initiated by Mono
farmer and beekeeper Dave Barr that spawned a career for
apiarist Randy Leitch.
At the time, Leitch was a teen living on his father's Hornings
Mills farm. "It was the only 4-H program for bees in
Ontario," he says. "And it only ran for two
years."
Leitch has been at it ever since - a total of 34 years and
counting.
"It's addictive. Looking after the bees is something that
gets into your blood," says the 52-year-old Orangeville
resident.
One of four full-time beekeepers in the county, Leitch currently
manages 275 hives in 15 fields scattered throughout Dufferin and
the northwest portion of Caledon. Each hive yields between 100 to 150 pounds of honey.
(For the metrically minded, that's 45 to 68 kilograms.)
Leitch is a member of the Canadian Honey Council,
the Ontario Beekeepers' Association, and the Dufferin Bee
Association, a local club with 25 to 30 "mostly
hobbyists" members who meet on the second Tuesday of every
month.
Leitch says he serves as a mentor for several hobbyists, taking
phone calls almost every day. He encourages membership in the
local club, even for those who don't intend to keep hives. Of
course, those that do will benefit from the expertise of others
in the field. "Every beekeeper should have a mentor; that's
how they learn," he says.
Even with more than three decades of experience, Leitch says he
continues to learn.
"I'm always
studying," he says. "A good beekeeper
must know what's going on in his area and the world, because
honey is an international commodity, more so than any other food
commodity. I'm in touch with people all over the world."
Most Saturday mornings in the spring and summer
Randy can be found selling his goods at the Orangeville Farmers
Market. His products are also sold at a number of area garden
shops and at Harmony Whole Foods in Orangeville, and Hinds Foods
in Grand Valley.
Passionate about his product,
Excerpts from "How sweet it is"
by John Lawson (with permission)
Sideroads, The Orangeville Banner, July 6, 2006
If you would like
to read John Lawson's article in its entirety, please "click"
here.
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