Beekeeper Andrew Coté has made beekeeping his passion and profession in the city, where he has been keeping bees for over a decade. Whether in a vast, sparsely populated country or a bustling metropolis like New York, Coté has proven that bees thrive anywhere as long as they have access to food. The bees he keeps in Bryant Park are known to fly up to five kilometers in each direction, visiting various parks in Manhattan for their foraging needs.
However, working as a beekeeper in the city presents unique challenges compared to the countryside. Convincing building operators to house 75,000 bees on their rooftops is no easy task. Additionally, the urban environment poses challenges like the heat in the city, which can affect the bees’ productivity. Ventilation systems and ample water supply are crucial to care for the bees effectively.
Coté has found creative ways of placing his hives around the city, from rooftops like those at the Waldorf Astoria and United Nations Garden to public art installations such as turning a sculpture at MOMA into a beehive. He sells his honey at local markets and online, with Rockaway Beach being his personal favorite. Coté is known as New York’s most famous beekeeper and is passionate about educating people about the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem.
While there are many benefits of urban agriculture and sustainable practices like beekeeping, Coté acknowledges that it presents its challenges. Traffic congestion can limit accessibility and increase safety concerns such as falling from high-rise buildings while tending to the hives. However, Coté believes that careful management of these challenges is essential to ensure sustainable honey production and protect pollinator populations in cities worldwide.
Despite these challenges, Coté remains committed to making urban agriculture more accessible and educational for everyone who wants to learn about sustainable living practices like beekeeping. As more people become interested in urban agriculture and sustainable living practices like him, Coté hopes that more people will take up this hobby or profession.
In conclusion, Andrew Coté’s journey into urban agriculture through beekeeping shows us how even amidst unique challenges posed by cities like New York City, we can create sustainable solutions through creativity and passion for nature’s biodiversity preservation efforts.
