Kate Callahan
“I put a piece of my soul in all my products”
My name is Kate Hummel Callahan, and I am a beekeeper.
If you look up the word “keep” in the dictionary, you will see that even though the word has come to mean “retain,” its earliest meaning may have been closer to “lay hold, with attention; to keep an eye on, to watch.” We keep by looking, watching, and becoming more attuned to other creatures and the natural world—this is why bees became a distraction and a passion of mine.
Until a few years ago, I did not know where I belonged in the art world; I worked as a nurse and an EMT by day and found shelter with my bees at night. Because of my background in science, I liked to play with creating things––new things. Whenever I was in the kitchen with my bees, my husband would ask, What science experiment are we doing now? Of course, I would harvest honey, but I knew that I could do so much more. I started making lip balm for my family and friends, and they all loved my products. For years, people told me that I should sell my creations. Though I was doubtful at first, I eventually thought, “Why not?” I decided to open a business, only planning to make three different products. However, this plan did not last––there was so much more to make!
My business, Yucky Rivah Bee Fahm, is named after a vernal pool that was in my family’s home in North Smithfield, Rhode Island. If the Yucky Rivah could raise three kids, care for three dogs, and serve as a water source for more than 50,000 bees, I figured it could also be the name of my business. The Yucky Rivah Bee Fahm has allowed me to combine my passions for medicine and creativity by using natural, locally-sourced ingredients to create healing products, such as bath and body items.
Beekeeping is an art; science alone will not guarantee a successful beekeeper. Like any type of farming requires, beekeepers must take chances with the weather, seasons, and pestilence. When you become a beekeeper, you become accountable for another creature—many of them, really. You are responsible for ensuring that the bees are healthy and safe from predators and disease. In beekeeping, experience, anticipation, and a deep understanding of various external factors prove just as important as knowledge of bee science and agriculture. The art of successfully caring for bees comes from understanding this balance and applying what you know to each hive.
The good thing is, there is no guessing game with bees. If they are happy, you will know; if they are upset, you will know that, too. They are fantastic communicators; bees perform a dance known as “the waggle dance”––a series of precise movements used to share the location of a particular food source, even over distances of several miles. Bees follow each other’s movements with the tips of their antennae; meanwhile, the angle of their bodies represents the direction of the pollen or nectar source in relation to the sun, and the duration of their dance indicates the distance other bees must travel to reach the source. They are incredibly smart!
Beekeeping gives me a way to keep my hands and mind busy. While my bees stay outside, everything else remains in my kitchen. Interestingly, I am allergic to bees, so I wear a big, heavy suit that protects me from head to toe. One of my favorite aspects of beekeeping is educating people about the creatures. Most people do not know that honey is the only food produced by insects for human consumption—and, unlike most food products, honey never goes bad. I also love interacting with my customers. Since I am constantly coming up with new products, I cherish discovering what works and what does not. Even if you like your products, it does not mean that everyone else in the market will like them, too. Nonetheless, you always have to pour a little bit of yourself into what you do.
I am driven by an eagerness to celebrate the Earth and the natural products it provides. Beekeeping has become a responsibility for my bees and the environment. Sometimes I feel that my bees need me; I have a duty to feed them, protect them from mites, and aid them through the winters. But, just like they need us, we need them, too. Bees keep our environment healthy and functioning. I am very grateful to our planet, and I try to stay in touch with the natural things that sit right at our fingertips. I always say there should be more farm-acies and fewer pharmacies. A lot of the stuff we need is in our yards—we just need to learn how to use it.
Bee grateful, Bee kind, and enjoy the day,
Kate & The Bees