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This is Living West Michigan.

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("Rest" by Basic Comfort plays) Black Queen Bee is a family run farm where we offer raw local honey.

We believe it tastes unbelievable.

Delving into your store, you got started in 2018.

Yes.

Black Queen Bee Honey.

You’re an apiarist.

Yes, that’s right Code word for... Beekeeper.

Beekeeper.

Yes.

So why did you do that?

What is behind the founding of your company and moving it forward within your family?

So we started off inside of one bee package, and we take that bee package I guess the desire to want to get back or closer to nature meant that we wanted to live more off the land.

And so that meant alternatives came into the conversation and was honey was a part of that conversation.

And I found a free class for beekeeping online.

And so that’s how this started initial.. What made you say, "You know what, we’re going to really process this and make this viable as a business in addition to giving your children, I don’t know, a foundation because you’re one of the only bipOC who are producing honey..

Correct in this area?

Yes.

In the west side of Michigan, absolutely we are.

I would say that it started off with just producing honey for.. my family, and then friends wanted honey, and then friends with friends wanted honey.

And so then I went, okay, this is a little bit bigger than us."

(Jazzy music) And you’ve learned the whole process.

I mean, you go from start to finish.

Give us an idea of that process a little bit.

All right, so.. in the spring, we buy our bee packages, and so we get about 800 bees and we put that into our bottom bottom box or our brood box And a queen bee can lay about 1,500 eggs every single day, so we give her a few weeks.

We want to go out and check on our bees every week to make sure that the bees are healthy and they’re laying our queen bee.

You know, she’s laying eggs And when that happens, we can put another brood box on.

We want her to keep on working and laying more eggs.

And after that process, we put a honey box on.

And that’s when we can start to harvest and begin harvesting some of the honey that comes off.

So we’ll be able to get maybe about 664 ounce jars, which is quite a bit of a bit of honey.

Do you do anything else aside from honey at this point?

We haven’t done our beauty products yet, so those are all in the works, but we do know that there are a plethora of different health benefits for honey, whether you’re ingesting it or whether you’re applying it topically.

So, when we think of honey, we typically think of, like, the sweet variety, but you actually do flavors that are infused with other things like garlic and things along those lines, right?

Yes.

Yes.

So we have several different honey flavors.

We have lemon, garlic, cinnamon, lavender, and hot And so we use all organic herbs that we infuse inside of our inside of our honey.

We actually leave a lot of those herbs inside of the honey when we sell it.

So people seem to like that.

That is delicious.

(Jazzy music) You have students that come through, you do student tours, and they are fascinated, are they not?

Oh, my goodness.

The young kids are, they’re awesome.

They’re fantastic, and there is no fear with the young ones when they come out here.

They get right up and close, and they’re, I mean, they’re basically handling the frames with us out there.

It’s the adults that are, you know, we have to coach them.

That would be me.

See bees around me?

We’re standing in the middle of a sea of bees.

But I guess I didn’t envision so many bees.

There are a lot of bees out here.

Okay.

All is good.

And it can be here?

Yeah.

And I think when we get the.

I don’t, it’s adults, too, with the kids and the adults that, oh, I’ve never, you know, been this up close and personal up with these before.

It’s kind of an aha moment once they get out there and go, "Okay, I’m safe."

And so then they get to relax and have that experience out there with the bees.

So it’s peaceful.

They’re not going to stingy you have on your protective clothing, and you get to just relax.

And the bees that we have typically are pretty docile, so when they come up, it’s almost like fireflies in a way.

Typically, if you don’t bother the bees, the bees won’t bother you.

So they’re only sting if, for some reason, they’re their belief.

believing that they’re going to be threatened.

And so a honey bee can only sting you.

One time, they actually lose their life after they sting you, one time.

We keep them far out, so we have three acres here.

We keep our distance, and there’s a good distance between our neighbors.

They are aware that we are beekeepers on site, too.

How exciting is it to have this particular thing going on in your backyard?

I think I’m more excited than the kids are.

I think I’m more excited just because of all the information that I’ve collected, I get to share that with people.

Every year, I learned something new about the bees.

One of the things I learned was that if we were to lose our pollinators, which we’ve been in danger of, we would lose certain food crops So when people come here now to Black Queen Bee, it’s more than just honey, it’s about educating people.

It’s about learning what our role is in living in this world and keeping it for the next generation (music) Okay, welcome to Fix the Future.

(music) Cathy Bissell is this foundation, is what you do a dream come true?

It is.

It’s actually like the most satisfying thing I’ve ever done knowing that I’m saving lives.

I love animals, and this is the most rewarding thing I could think of doing.

Meow What do you mean when you say you’re saving lives?

We save lives as a foundation, just on a regular basis.

You know, people think about animals that are strays, or we work with shelters, or we work in disaster, we transport animals so they can get adopted, we have a huge adoption of events and we have what we’re doing here, which is fix the future, which is spaying and neutering, which saves millions of lives, because every single pet that might have a litter could have anywhere from 3 to 12 in a pack and we are preventing that.

And so it’s really rewarding to think that we are making such an impact on saving lives.

How does one go about starting a foundation when there’s such a passion?

Take me back to your history.

You know, I think it’s just because it’s passion-driven.

That’s why the foundation was started.

I mean, I started small, I was helping the Humane Society of West Michigan, and we were trying to raise money, and I did a fundraiser and the fundraiser, we continued it for three years under the Humane Society of West Michigan, and we started making so much money that it was better to share the wealth.

So we shared it in Western Michigan, Kent County, and different places, and then we just kept raising money, and with the help of Bissell, we were raising more and it just spread, and that’s how the foundation really started.

And then it just kept growing and growing, and we just kept going across the country and doing more, and we started with Empty the Shelters in 2016, and that became the largest funded adoption event in the country And to date, I think we’ve done over 300,000 adoptions with working with the shelters.

We have almost 7,000 shelter partners across the country we work with.

We don’t fund them all, but we work with them and give them the tools that they need to be successful if they feel they need it.

Let’s talk about fixing the future.

What’s happening at this clinic?

So at this clinic today, we’re doing cats.

I think we have about 130 cats here today.

We have three veterinarians cutting on a regular basis.

They’re very fast.

They’re high quality, high volume.

And then we have a fourth vet here who will be checking for health of every pet before they have surgery So it’s really exciting.

We have a ton of volunteers who are amazing.

I mean volunteers make things happen, so it’s really wonderful, and we have a lot of skilled technicians, as well as veterinarians.

But people give of their time, because, you know, nothing happens unless people volunteer You have to volunteer and it’s something this big, it’s about volunteering.

So the cats that we’re seeing are coming from different shelters, feral cats, and then they go back to either be adopted or.

They’re coming from shelters, reach out in their communities.

So we have Berrien County.

We have Greater Hillsdale We have hats out of Midland.

They reach out to their community to say, we have 30 openings today.

If you have a pet, you would like to have spayed or neutered, you sign up with us.

And those spots fill up like that.

And it’s basically free to them at this clinic.

Some clinics, you know, you pay for a little bit, but no more than 35 a dog and 25 a cat.

And so their animals come here and they get fixed.

You know, the cost today is anywhere from 300 in a rural community to 1,500 in a larger city.

So it’s a great service that a lot of people can’t afford, so this is bucking that system.

It’s providing care to people who can afford it, but there are people who can’t afford it, they just can’t get in to get their pet spayed or neutered.

So we’re just trying to change the game and make it available to everyone.

You’re fixing the future.

We’re fixing the future.

What about the care of a special needs dog?

I know, I think we’re going to meet your tripods.

Yes, yeah, they are really cute.

You know, we, as a foundation, are working to save lives all over the country, and we do a lot in Louisiana, and these two tripods were found as strays.

They were in really rough shape, and so we had their legs removed and they’re happy as could be, and now they’re going into a foster home, and it’s a wonderful, and this is how it works.

You find these animals, you try to save them any way you can, and we find homes for them.

What’s in our backdrop?

Do we have a couple special Bissell family members?

So the black dog in the back, Ranger, he’s a feral found on the street.

He was shot in the leg, and he had a busted femur, and the bullet is actually lodged in his other leg He was hit by a car, he’s a fractured neck.

He is frightened of people, of course, as he would be, and he was caught in a claw trap.

So he’s had a pretty rough life, and and I couldn’t let him go.

The other one is a little also feral.

I didn’t even know she was a beagle, hairless, absolutely no hair and very frightened and very sick.

And so I thought she was only going to live for like three months, and here it is a year.

So she’s living her life, best life.

(music) How can West Michigan help?

You know, I think if everybody understands in their minds that spay and neuter is the only way we’re going to stop the suffering of animals.

It really is the only way.

It’s not something people want to give money to because they can’t see the cute face they’re saving, but if they in their mind’s eye, think about a pet that’s suffering on the streets and they could prevent that pet from having litters and and those pets suffering, like the feral cats.

You know, they don’t live very long on the streets.

So if people think about spay neuter, supporting spay neuter, that’s the way.

That’s the only way we get out of this problem.

And you’re expanding to help more?

Yes.

Across the country, we’re working this program.

Last year, within a year and a half, we did 123,000, but in one year, we did 96,000 spay neuters in 24 states.

This year, already, we’re at 90,000, and we’re only halfway done.

So we know we can accomplish, you, 190,000 spay neuters and possibly 210, but it’s funding.

And we’re trying to keep the prices low for people so they can bring their pets in, they want to bring their pets in.

All pets get vaccinated, which is huge at the same time, so all of these cats coming in are being seen by a vet They’re all being vaccinated, they’re being microchipped or ear tipped, and then they’re being spayed and neutered.

So those services would cost typically a lot of money, and that’s why we’re trying to buck this system and get people’s pets healthy and help them.

Everyone needs help.

Yep.

(music) Such a good girl That’s a good girl (music) Can you share with me how Sunlight Gardens began and where kind of the inspiration for all of this came from?

Sunlight Gardens began about 11 years ago now, I had an idea to be able to provide my community and family with healthier food.

I realized a lot of the food that was in our neighborhoodhood was very bad ingredients and the health outcomes that we had from eating that food were very bad also.

And so I wanted to make a difference.

I wanted to be able to grow food from my community that I could be proud of.

So we got this property in 2020, but I have been farming for about going on 11 years now.

On the mural, there’s a quote.

It’s always seems impossible until it’s done.

And I think that’s just like, you know, something that has been very relevant in my life.

I mean, I remember figuring out how to build one of these hoop house structures, right?

Like, I’m a first generation farmer.

I didn’t know any of this stuff.

So if you asked me back then, hey, Devon, how are you going to build a hoop house?

I’m like, that’s impossible, right?

But it’s not.

So you’ve got two acres here in Battle Creek.

So what are some of the maybe daily tasks that you and your team take on to make sure everything’s running smoothly around here?

A big part of farming is consistency, right?

So, you know, we come here, we have to make sure everything is watered.

We have to make sure things are weeded.

We have to, you know, plant on time, harvest on time, a principle that I use in farming is observe nature thoroughly rather than labor thoughtlessly.

So if you, you know, if you just come and you just like treat it as a job, oh, I gotta work and do this, do this, you might be missing out on things that are happening.

It’s a lot of just observing nature and helping nature do what it does naturally to the best of our ability and then catering it to our community’s needs as well.

That’s a big part of urban agriculture.

You know, we need to be in service to our community.

We’re a business, right?

So we have to be growing things that that our neighbors want to eat.

Our store, for example, our store, the pharmacy, where food is medicine.

We intentionally made it look like a convenience store or a corner store.

We, you know, kind of meet people where they are, but provide a better option for them to be able to eat healthier and experience this local food food in a familiar way.

So we have fresh produce, fruits, and vegetables from all from Michigan.

So we take stuff that we grow right here on the farm, have it available at the store, and then we also source from over 40 different Michigan farms.

And so with pharmacy, we’re really trying to make eating healthier, very convenient.

We have followed our community here.

We love collard greens, mustard greens.

We can barely keep the green tomatoes in stock when we have them.

And then, as far as what I like to eat the most, I’m a seasonal eater.

I’m a local seasonal eater, so I like to just eat whatever’s in season, really.

You did good, Dre.

So what are maybe some of the unique challenges or benefits to urban farming here in West Michigan?

I would say, so, first of all, Michigan is the second most diverse state for agriculture, meaning we can grow almost anything here.

So we’re in a really unique position to grow a lot of really good produce in Michigan.

Some of the challenges, though, is just access to land.

And I would say really education and access, there’s not a lot of opportunity to be able to get into agriculture.

You don’t really see urban agriculture happening a lot and the agriculture that you do see is a lot.

It’s on these big, massive farms.

So you drive past it in the country, but you don’t really get a chance to interact with the farm.

You don’t get a chance to go and you know, touch the soil, look at the plants, taste the plants.

I believe at some like gardens where we are you know, we’re obviously growing that food, creating very healthy soil.

And we’re also making more practitioners so that we can have a very strong local food system because it’s not only agriculture, right?

It’s the local food system, it’s a robust field.

We need researchers.

We need accountants.

We need marketers, grocery store owners.

So, it seems like not only is your mission to, you know, just up the accessibility for healthy food, but also to maybe inspire and educate young black farmers for the next generation.

How do you feel like Sunlight Gardens is doing that?

Most definitely.

I believe we are doing that really by allowing our natural culture to flourish through what we do.

You know, we have parties out here.

We have concerts.

We have food tasting events.

So really just like making it accessible, making it cultural, and also, yeah, providing that education So Project Feast is food, education, and agricultural systems training.

So it started from all these curious kids coming around, and now it’s evolved into an actual workforce development program, where we give these kids an example, like, to see, how could I fit into the food system?

What does it mean to have a career in the food system?

What are the the options?

What are the examples?

There’s not a lot of successful black farmers that are doing this on a large scale.

I like to look at ourselves as like a lighthouse, right?

You know, in if you’re in the ocean, you kind of look towards that lighthouse and say,Okay, I can go this way, kind of show you where to go."

So, looking ahead, what can we expect to see in the future?

These bigger corporations and things are going to have to watch out.

Because we are, you know, we are, we’re growing a lot.

Local food should be the standard because it’s very important that people understand how food is produced, where food comes from.

Eating from healthy soil and promoting local food, I believe is having the health outcome, which can then lead to those financial, educational, higher outcomes.

Even if we’re importing something, it should be organically grown in a way where those farmers who grew it are treating the earth the right way, they’re able to make a wage that’s fair for them and able to make money doing and growing their product What drives you to really keep doing this work?

Is it the people?

Is it the work itself, something else?

You know, it’s it’s a lot of all that.

But I think one of the main things is, I really love food, you know?

I really love eating good food, and food is such a thing that, you know, it always brings people together.

We all got to eat at the end of the day.

So let’s make it let’s make it incredible.

Anthony Wis, owner and operator Mitten Vintage.

So we’re a traveling vintage market, and we travel all across Michigan.

Our main goal is to bring sustainability and and affordability through 70s and up vintage fashion.

Textile pollution is really bad, especially now with like fast fashion brands.

They always turn in and burn like cheap clothing.

And so we’re trying to combat that.

Part of the reason we try to fight it is it’s just like, well, you can get this clothing for the same price It’s just not gonna hurt the earth as much, you know?

I do think we have a pretty unique sense of community, especially, like, in Michigan.

I think the uniqueness of Michigan itself, as well as, like, the nature here, makes a lot of, like, pieces found around here really good.

I’ve definitely seen some businesses being built up throughout the four years that we’ve done this.

Like, I’ve known people since that I have been in our first markets and they continue to grow.

The platform that I give is just, if you’re a small business, I want you to grow, come vend with us.

I just want to accomplish just bringing it this vintage market to everyone in Michigan have it accessible to anybody.

No matter how big your pocket is, small or big, you’ll find something at our markets every time, every single time.

My favorite part is just the community I’ve built, just because I met so many, like, lifelong friends along the way, and just the network of all these, like, vendors, people that shop, I keep seeing people that are in my Grand Rapids markets that go there.

I sometimes see them in Detroit.

So seeing them like travel like two, three hours just to come to this market, it just puts a smile on my face, because I know I’m doing something good, and I know I’m bringing all these, like, different vendors, affordability, and sustainability to Michigan.

There are a lot of bees out here.

Melina, are there a lot of bees?

Spencer?

Underwater.

I’m underwater.

I’m breathing.

’ because they’re right on my face.

Yes.

Yep.

It’s on your protective shield.

I mean, this is a different experience.

Yeah.

I mean, it is more than a notion.

We’re standing in the middle of of the sea of bees.

You take a deep just close your eyes and take a deep breath.

You can hear that buzzing.

Okay.

All is good.

Okay, I have a reverse question, Melina, you’re shooting.

How are you feeling with the bees coming around you?

It is oddly calming.

Yeah.

Is it?

I understand the white noise.

And I’m kind of afraid of bees, so You’re doing really well to continue to shoot.

They move very slowly., which I appreciate.

Oh, look at that.

He’s got some Australian.

Yeah,’s.

He’s some Australian.. He’s a Shepherd gorgeous dog.

yours.

And she’s a little pocket pity.

Oh, oh, that’s a pocket pity.

Well, I think she’s a pocket pitty.

Yeah, no, I think so.

She’s a little.

She had a big, huge leg out here, and her arm is still broken, but she’s cute as high.

Yeah.

She’s a kisser.

She’s moving, and she’s yours, right?

Scratchies.

Oh, scratchies.

Oh.

("Rest" by Basic Comfort plays) Have a good day!