Introduced my little brother to the concept of Perma-culture a while back , Perma-culture being an umbrella term for non traditional agriculture, chicken tractors ,food forests,getting away from rowed gardens , guerilla gardening ect, and he's really taken to it . He self educated himself with the internet, YouTube, podcasts, books ,ect and he'll call me up eveyone and then to get my thoughts in stuff but this years is his first "serious" year according to him he's basically stolen moms chickens and is using them for weed and insect control as well as getting them to prep the ground. Gotta build him a new tractor though because this chi com thing isn't cutting it lol.He's been making compost with what's left of the hay bales when the cows are done ( just push s the remains into little little "compost hills" with the tractor) and getting old tires and making tomato towers by stacking them and filling them with the compost. Did the same with a old water tub and has it filled with cucumbers to the point their basically a plague lol. ( Last year we gave away like 60lbs of the dang things )He's also pretty obsessed with growing sunflowers but apparently he's selling them somehow. He wants some aquaponics tanks set up next along with some quail and possibly rabbits but...not sure who's gonna be taking care of all this while he's at college

That makes me smile. It's an addiction. Just wait tell he gets into bee's

O don't get me started on the bees there's a guy down the road with a hive or two... He's... Peculiar .. think he's a prepper , really nice guy but kinda secretive. Anyhow my brother keeps talking about how he's gonna go try and trade him cucumbers for bees
Gonna see about getting him a starter hive or something when I get a little more situated

Nice!!!!

He can catch his own swarms so only needs hives, frames, feeder, Vail, smoker and hive tool to start. But the gear and hardware will keep adding up.

He will be best served getting involves with an experienced bee keeper. It's a lot to learn on your own.

Start with 2 hives. It doesn't take much more time to work 2 vs one. Only added cost I'd the hive and frams since you allready have the other gear. It's hard to know if a hive is doing well if your new but if you have another one to compare it to and share resources with its helpful.

Beware I started with 2 hives. Last count I was at 11 with two full swarm traps to hive, and 4 queen cells in a queen cassel and 2 nukes with virgan queens. So if everything goes perfectly I could be up to 17 or 18 in a few weeks. And that not counting if I catch more swarms or do more splits.

I only wanted to get up to 10 hives producing.

Us bee folk know that we're peculiar. What's wrong with that? LOL

Not hard to build more hives. I have 4. Have 2 mated queens arriving tuesday. Will split 2 of the hives. Then make some nucs. Your brother, might offer to help the neigbour,It iis great to have a mentor.. We had a backward spring that the bees couldn't get out and work. They are making up for it now. old243

Warrior welll they guy has a big metal building away from everyone else and well.... You just have to meet the guy to see what I'm talking abou

A prepper teotwawki type?

I'm seeing a small subset of those in the new beekeepers coming into the hobby. They usually don't hang around long. To standoffish.

Lots of folks into permaculture or small farm.

But you still have a little off to stick your hands into a box of bees, lol.

Even more to work bees in a kilt.

Very cool

Yup, you get it.

Nice bee pics. This is pic of my grandfather doing the bee thing. I really miss working the bees with him. Eric

If that's your little brother, remind me not to mess with your big brother

On the sunflowers I planted around a half acre last year. My wife sold some, some photographers brought their clients out to take family pictures with them that brought in some cash, the quail, turkies, deer, and pollinators also enjoyed them.

I believe I may plant some again this year.

Wolf is the little brother, lol.

Nice pictures, everyone. Thanks for sharing. Didn't know wolfdog was into permaculture. But I am definitely cool with it.

Your little bro seems content in his sunflower garden. That's awesome. I'm also one of those oddball bee keepers, and I'm highly allergic. Down to one hive now.
I like the tire garden. Years ago I had a 5 gallon bucket garden that ran 3/4 the way around the house.
Have him look into growing potatoes in contractor bags. Easy to do and no digging