Welcoming the Bees: A New Chapter in Regenerative Farming at EarthSpoke Farms
Out here on the Mendocino Coast, spring always feels like a quiet unfolding. The fields begin to stir, the dahlias stretch toward the light, and little by little, life returns in abundance. This year, that unfolding has carried something entirely new for us.
We’ve welcomed bees to the farm.
Not just as visitors passing through our blooms, but as something we are now learning to care for, tend, and steward. It feels like a natural extension of what we’ve always believed about this land—that if we nurture it well, it will give back in ways both seen and unseen. At EarthSpoke Farms, we are a small multigenerational family farm growing dahlias and seasonal blooms near the coastal village of Mendocino in Northern California. Our work has always been rooted in a desire to cultivate wonder—to grow flowers that bring beauty into your homes and gardens, and to do so in a way that honors the earth they come from. Beekeeping, in many ways, feels like the next step in that calling.
Choosing the Right Bees for Our Coastal Farm
We now have four hives in total, with two already settled in and two more arriving soon. Our Buckfast bees joined us on April 11, 2026, after a long, rainy drive home, and our Carniolan bees will arrive in June. Choosing these specific bees wasn’t random. It came from a lot of thought about our climate here on the Northern California coast, our experience level as new beekeepers, and our long-term vision for a regenerative, sustainable flower farm. Buckfast bees felt like a gentle introduction into this world. They’re known for their calm temperament, something we deeply appreciate as we learn. There’s a steadiness to them—an ease that makes opening a hive feel less intimidating and more like stepping into a rhythm.
They’re also incredibly hardworking. Even in the cool, cloudy conditions that roll in from the Pacific, they continue to forage and build. That resilience matters here. Our seasons don’t always follow a predictable pattern, and we needed bees that could adapt alongside us. Buckfast bees are known for building strong colonies early in the spring, conserving their resources well through winter, and maintaining consistent honey production throughout the season.
Their natural resistance to pests and disease, especially when it comes to Varroa mites, also played a role in our decision. While no hive is completely immune, starting with bees that have a stronger defense gives us a better foundation as we learn how to care for them well. Our Carniolan bees, arriving soon, bring their own strengths. Like the Buckfast, they are gentle and calm, but they’re especially known for thriving in cooler climates. They forage even on damp, gray days and respond intuitively to what’s happening around them—building up quickly when pollen is abundant and conserving energy when it’s not.
There’s something beautiful about that kind of awareness. It mirrors so much of what we’re trying to do here on the farm: pay attention, respond to the seasons, and work with the land instead of against it.
A Rainy Day and a Different Way of Doing Things
The day we brought our first bees home, the sky opened up. After a three-and-a-half-hour drive, we arrived to steady rain, the kind that soaks into everything. Thankfully, we had set up a simple pop-up cover over the hives ahead of time, sensing the weather might turn. Installing package bees usually follows a pretty straightforward process—shaking them directly into the hive, placing the queen inside, and letting them begin their work. But standing there in the cold and the rain, it was clear that we needed to slow down and adjust. Instead of shaking them in, we placed the entire package directly inside the hive, allowing the bees to come out on their own and find their queen naturally. We replaced the cork in the queen’s cage with a small marshmallow, giving them time to gently chew through and release her when they were ready. It felt like a softer introduction—less disruption, more trust. The next day, when the rain had settled, we returned to check on them, removing the empty packages and guiding any remaining bees into their new home. It wasn’t perfect or polished. But it felt right.
Beekeeping as Part of Our Regenerative Mission
Everything we do here at EarthSpoke Farms is rooted in a desire to care for the land well. We grow over 300 varieties of dahlias along with a wide range of annual and perennial flowers, using regenerative practices like cover cropping, composting, crop rotation, and compost teas. We avoid synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, choosing instead to build healthy soil that supports strong, resilient plants. Bees are a natural extension of that work. They are not separate from the farm—they are part of the ecosystem we’re trying to nurture. Their presence supports pollination, strengthens biodiversity, and reminds us that farming is not just about what we harvest, but about what we sustain. There’s something deeply fitting about pairing dahlias and bees. The bold, generous blooms of the dahlia fields and the quiet, steady work of the hive feel like they belong together. One offers beauty in abundance, the other ensures that life continues. It truly feels like a perfect marriage of caring for the earth.
Looking Ahead
This week, we’ll take our first gentle look inside the hives—just enough to check that the queen is laying, that the bees are beginning to draw comb, and that everything is moving in the right direction. There is still so much to learn. Beekeeping, like farming, is humbling in that way. It asks you to pay attention, to be patient, and to accept that you are not fully in control. But that’s part of the beauty of it. We hope, as always, to share this journey with you—not just the blooms and the harvests, but the quiet, meaningful work happening beneath the surface. The small things that, together, create something full of life. Here on the Mendocino Coast, among the dahlias and the sea air, the bees have found their place. And we are so grateful to be learning alongside them.