Why bees, and female bee keepers, are so important, insights with Samantha Parsons, Cape Clear

Fascinating interview with Samantha Parsons, from Fastnet Farm, https://www.fastnetfarm.com/, on Cape Clear island, West Cork. Samantha Parsons grew up fascinated by bees in Massachussettes, had her interest further sparked by her time in Greece. Then, when she wanted to learn more and went to events and conventions, was bemused to see she was the only young or female person there. Undaunted she found mentors and quickly grew her own knowledge and experience of bees, in all their forms. Samantha articulately advocates why bees are so important to our existence and why we need to do more to protect them, both for their sakes and our own. Their farm is located on Cape Clear Island, Ireland's southernmost inhabited island just 8 miles from the coast. We farm a pedigree herd of belted galloways which are well equipped to endure all that the severe Atlantic weather can throw at them. Due to its unique flora and fauna, the island is part of the Natura 2000 network with Specific Areas of Conservation (SACs). Their goal is to maintain the rich biodiversity with a low impact farming system while producing quality products. They produce a high quality artisanal honey from the native and hardy Irish black honeybee. All of our honey is raw, lightly strained and locally harvested from Cape Clear Island. Our hives are managed without the use of synthetic chemicals complementing a strong investment in an all natural approach and a healthy environment. The striking title image comes from a free resource aimed at promoting greater awareness of bees globally. See more images here https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgsbiml and in our interview here https://irishtechnews.ie/preserving-bees-photography/