There is something about Chicago that keeps my interest. Maybe it's because I used to escape there when I was stationed in Great Lakes, Illinois. When I was in Great Lakes, back in 1977, there was nothing there except the base and the business that fed off of it: the fast food joints, the pawn shops, the jewelry stores. So, almost every weekend, I caught the train down to Chicago and would bop around downtown all day. Music festivals, sidewalk art shows, galleries and parks and life.
I know that locale was probably part of the reason for my attraction to "Married With Children". It may have even tied in, subconsciously, to my decision to back a kickstarter project for an art show there.
Who knows? Maybe the Windy City has influenced my choice today, making my eye linger over this particular project. Then again, I haven't yet backed any food projects, so this would satisfy the need for that little pie-wedge of hot pink in my sponsor wheel.
(smile)
What other reasons to put 29 smackeroos toward this endeavor by Jana Kinsman? Well, I do like that she is part of a collective herself - that shows she's a team player. The fact that the collective is for "creatives of the female variety" is certainly interest piqueing, too.
It certainly is creative to transport bees to urban gardens, farms, and even schoolyards. After all, no pollination means no fruits or vegetables. Most folks with gardens want to have a harvest.
She needed places for her hives, but she would take care of the bees' needs. She had already scouted the areas where folks wanted to become part of her beekeeping community, where the people and bees worked together, buzzing along in harmony.
I know, very corny, right? But I can't help myself!
Which is the primary reason I've joined the hive. It sounds like fun and it sounds positive and, what's more, I like bees and know how hard city life has been on them.
Her campaign still has three more weeks, so I'll let you know the buzz as soon as I do.
Bzzz bzzzz bzz!
3 comments:
Update #3
Jan 20, 2012
You did it!!!
Great news! We're fully backed! And we couldn't have gotten here without YOU! I am feeling so blessed, thrilled, excited, and eager to begin the work that's ahead.
When the Kickstarter phase of Bike·a·Bee launched, the only thing I could think about was whether or not it would get funded. I thought about what I would do if it didn't - and how rad it would be if it did. But here we are today, fully funded with 18 days to go, and I am overwhelmed with excitement.
What will we do with any funding we receive above and beyond the initial $7,000? Well, I've been brainstorming with some really smart people, and I think we're going to pursue a honeybee educational program aimed at young Chicagoans. To that end, any extra money will go into buying more bee veils, as well as creating educational and promotional materials.
Bike·a·Bee began as a tiny dream, but now it's a full-fledged reality. We're going to populate community gardens with pollinators and generate lots of honey to share, that part's for certain. But now we can begin expanding our community education plans even further, perhaps by leaps and bounds beyond what we did have planned for the $7,000 mark.
Now is not the time to let up on the gas, though, because keeping the funding a comfortable amount over the $7,000 goal ensures that we won't run the risk of going unfunded should someone pull out if they think the rest of us have it covered. So your continued support and social media promotion is still needed! If we keep the good momentum going, we can go above and beyond our goal to make Bike·a·Bee even more special.
Hugs and honey!
Jana
Update #5
Mar 10, 2012
We've Been Busy!
Hello Backers and Friends!
Bike·a·Bee has been quite busy, as you can imagine! What have we been up to, you may ask... well, let me tell you!
1. We have all of the funds set up in a bank account and have begun purchasing things! All of the hive equipment was ordered from Mann Lake ltd up in Minnesota, except for 2 top-bar hives ordered locally from Beebuds (http://beebuds.tumblr.com/#me). We've ordered our packages of bees, which will be available in April. And lastly, we ordered our bike trailer from Bikes At Work!
2. Last weekend I took a trip up to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take the Beekeeping for Northern Climates class taught by the University of Minnesota Bee Lab. I had a great time and learned all sorts of new ideas from teachers Marla Spivak and Gary Reuter. I stayed with my new bee friends Kristy Allen and Erin Rupp of Community Bees on Bikes. Kristy and I attended the class together, and she even let me tag along for her weekly honey delivery!
3. We also checked in on our two hives down at Eden Place. One did not make it through the winter, so we'll be splitting the healthy hive in a month or so and getting a new queen. The mild winter has the gals itching to get flying, and some of the trees around the city are even in bloom! Soon enough spring will be here!
Some Upcoming Things!
Hive Assembly! Bike·a·Bee will be needing help assembling beehives in about a week (March 18th-24th). Grab a hammer and stay tuned!
Webisodes! Our rad team of videographers are ramping up to begin filming webisodes. I can't tell you how excited I am to see what Christina and Rosa create! Want to help?! If you're a musician or in a band and would like to have your music featured in a webisode, we're looking for talent... Email us!
fliss on March 10, 2012
What busy bees you have been! ( : D )
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