Honeybees! As honeybees happily buzzed around DC last summer, VSAG got a bee in our bonnets: Why not broaden the scope of our client Founding Farmers’ sustainable practices and create an apiary, where the freshly harvested honey could be used in the restaurants?
Now in its second year, our apiary has been a buzzing success!
It all began with a partnership with The George Washington University (GW). VSAG client Founding Farmers DC is a neighbor to the nationally ranked university. VSAG approached GW with the thought of creating the largest-known restaurant-owned urban apiary in the country. Today, the beehives are a fixture on the roof of a GW academic building located just two blocks from the downtown DC Founding Farmers location.
Once harvested, the honey will be enjoyed throughout the menu at Founding Farmers. In the meantime, the apiary also plays a part in the expansion of GW’s research goals and student course studies by allowing students to use the hives for research, examining colony life in order to record the habits and communication patterns of honeybees.
“This urban apiary is a natural extension of Founding Farmers’ mission to minimize its impact on the environment through sustainable practices,” said Dan Simons. “Not only do we love being able to harvest our own honey to supplement the restaurant’s usage, but we are proud to partner with GW – a powerhouse in the world of education – on a project like this.”
By the end of this summer, each hive is expected to produce between 20 and 120 pounds of honey. The honey will not only be incorporated throughout Founding Farmers’ menu, but the honey may also be used for small-production bottling.
For further information and for honeybee updates/honey-themed additions to the menu, visit Founding Farmers at: http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com, and follow the honeybees on Twitter @FFbees.