Tom Rice, a Waukesha resident, began his hobby almost eight years ago when he opened his anniversary gift from his wife Marjorie. He had expressed interest in keeping bees on their 136-acre parcel of land in Wales to complement his fruit tree orchard, and Marjorie took his suggestion seriously. She gave him a beekeeping kit, which doesn’t include the bees, introducing Tom not only to the art of beekeeping with that first hive but also to the Milwaukee-Waukesha Beekeepers Association.
“When I joined [the Beekeepers Association] seven years ago I was one of the youngest ones,” says Tom, who is 64. Then, he estimates the group drew about 40 members to their monthly meetings. Today they boast about 75 members, and the younger generations are well represented. “Just in the last three years the bee club has expanded a lot with new members, and most of them are people bringing their kids. “
Learn more about their Secret Life as Beekeepers.
