A passionate advocate of organic farming and production and one of the true charatcers of the New Zealand business industry, one of our main growers, Gary has 60 years of bee keeping experience, including an Apicultural Cadetship from Canterbury College and 5 years researching clover and brassica pollination, insecticides and pollen analysis of honey. At University he read Zoology, Botany, Chemistry and Physics. Aged 75, he still walks the bush to check his hives and modestly claims that he still has more to learn from the bees.

With his livelihood dependent upon his skill and commitment to bee keeping and its best practices, Gary Jeffery could be forgiven for keeping thing close to his chest. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Here are a few 'gems' he is willing to share with aspiring bee keepers...

• Retire to bed early because bee keeping requires and early start, and you may as well be wide awake and refreshed to enjoy the day.
• Always start the day with Manuka honey on toast.
• Do everything to prevent your fiance from being stung by bees when you're courting because, if she's like my Alvie, she'll be put off for life. 
• Look for hive locations which are isolated (yet easily accessible) and sheltered.
• Trust in historical medicinal remedies used by indigenous people -they knew what they were talking about back then.
• Don't dress to impress in the honey business- the bees don't care and you will come to a sticky end!
• Protect and preserve the land from which you are making a living.
• Treat the product you harvest with respect.