Jeff MacMullen takes good care of his bees. After all, they produce his“We Be Honey” products. I got to know Jeff at the local farmers market a while back and was keen to learn more. He kindly agreed to an interview, so we met up at Danny Coyle’s pub on Haight where he keeps two boxes of his beloved bees, and he shared his story over one of his specialty honey drinks, an Irish Lemonade!
JM: We keep bees at auspicious locations, and this is one of them. The bees are kept in the backyard, which is dedicated for the use of their honey.
HSV: What other locations?
JM: The Bay Area. All over the Haight, all over San Francisco, Napa, East Bay, Marin. I’ve been doing this for 15 years.
HSV: How long have you been in San Francisco?
JM: Thirty years. I’ve lived in the Haight most of my time here.
(Jeff walks me out to meet the bees in the backyard)
JM: Here they are! (singing the Temptations): “My girls … talkin’ ‘bout my girls!”
HSV: So they just live inside these two little boxes?
JM: Yes. Now watch. You never go to the front of the beehive. It’s the active place where they keep coming in and out. You don’t want to bump into them cuz if they see you or feel you or run into you, they’re going to question why you’re there. So we can touch the bee boxes by coming to the side, quietly.
HSV: Wow! I can feel them humming! Hi Mr. Bees!
JM: They’re girls. They’re all girls.
HSV: Hi ladies! You must love them so much.
JM: These are my girls. These are my demo boxes so people can see bees, touch a bee box, not be afraid of nature in an urban environment. This is a model for urban farming and it’s a success. The owner is a friend. He has bees here as a commercial agreement to have the best raw local honey that can be produced — because it’s from his backyard!
HSV: Do the bees like it?
JM: The bees love it! Look at them!
HSV: Do they know they’re in a city?
JM: This neighborhood has people that water their gardens! There’s an avocado tree behind Molotov’s! Most of the flowers are blooming right now. The sweet is on high! The bees are dedicated to places that have flowers. They don’t care about us!
HSV: What would you like to say to the Haight community?
JM: Power to the people!
HSV: And the peaceful. And you. And the bees.
JM: One love!
