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<H1>Creating a Buzz with Honey and Green Jobs</H1>
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<H5><SPAN class=author><IMG class="avatar avatar-18 photo" height=18 alt="" src="http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/ddc207cfec5caa8db27dda14a15dcf1e?s=18&d=http%3A%2F%2F1.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D18&r=PG" width=18> By <A title="Posts by Akhila Vijayaraghavan" href="http://www.triplepundit.com/author/akhila-vijayaraghavan/" rel=author><FONT color=#3166b0>Akhila Vijayaraghavan</FONT></A> | August 30th,
2011</SPAN> <SPAN class=commentNum><A title="Comments on Creating a Buzz with Honey and Green Jobs" href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/08/creating-buzz-honey-green-jobs/#comments"><IMG src="http://www.triplepundit.com/wp-content/themes/triplepunditv2/images/comment.png"></A>
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<P><IMG class="alignright size-large wp-image-82250" height=329 alt="" src="http://www.triplepundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/new-york-388_edit_crop-1024x866-650x549.jpg" width=390>You don’t often think of airports and honeybees together in the same
context. And you never think of airports, honeybees and ex-convicts together,
but that is exactly what <A href="http://www.sweetbeginningsllc.com/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>Sweet
Beginnings</FONT></STRONG></A> is doing. Sweet Beginnings LLC makes raw honey
and <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/08/award-winning-advertising-burts-bees-makes-csr-cool/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>honey infused personal care products</FONT></STRONG></A>.</P>
<P>They have an all natural urban apiary in the North Lawndale neighborhood in
Chicago. Sweet Beginnings is a wholly owned subsidiary of the <A href="http://www.nlen.org/" target=_blank><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>North
Lawndale Employment Network</FONT></STRONG></A> (NLEN). NLEN in
collaboration with Sweet Beginnings offers a
full-time transitional job for people who have served time.</P>
<P>The core aims of the company gelled with the <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/05/uncommon-ground-chicago%E2%80%99s-certified-organic-roof-top-farm/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>Chicago</FONT></STRONG></A> Department of Aviation’s efforts to
make its main airport (O’Hare) more environmentally friendly. The apiary is
located just outside the runway protection zone, which means federal regulations
prevent development. The land is over-grown with wild-plants, weeds and native
vegetation which makes it a rich source of pollen. This undisturbed piece of
chemical-free land is foraging heaven for bees and enables them to produce 150
pounds of honey a hive.<SPAN id=more-82246></SPAN></P>
<P>They company has about 40 honey producing beehives. Urban honey is often
better tasting than rural honey because urban bees have access to a variety of
different pollen types. Urban gardens have various species of flowers
growing in small spaces which gives a varied flavour to the honey that is
produced. It also means that bees have to travel a smaller distance for a
greater bounty.</P>
<P>Beekeeping is a very important part of <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/08/walmart-donates-500000-urban-wildlife-protection/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>urban wildlife conservation</FONT></STRONG></A>. Bees the world
over are facing severe stress due to climate change, <A href="http://www.justmeans.com/Decline-in-pollinating-insects-antibiotics-in-Indian-honey-what-s-connection/33118.html"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>use of antibiotics</FONT></STRONG></A> and disease; sometimes
leading to collapse of entire colonies. Colony collapse does not only directly
affect honey production, it also affects food and agriculture at
large. Bees are the major type of pollinator in ecosystems that contain
flowering plants. According to a <A href="http://www.justmeans.com/Green-Living-How-Save-Bees/47066.html"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>UNEP report released last year</FONT></STRONG></A>, “of some 100
crop species which provide 90% of food worldwide, 71 of these are
bee-pollinated.” <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/05/capitalization-bee-cosystem-services-californias-almond-industry/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>Ecosystem services like pollination</FONT></STRONG></A> are said
to contribute$14bn to the US economy alone and drop in pollinators would have an
adverse effect on already fluctuating <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/author/Akhila-Vijayaraghavan/"><FONT color=#3166b0><STRONG>food prices.</STRONG></FONT></A></P>
<P><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0><IMG class="alignleft size-full wp-image-82251" height=255 alt="" src="http://www.triplepundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sweet-Beginnings-team.jpg" width=343></FONT></STRONG><A href="http://preview.grist.org/urban-agriculture/2011-08-19-ohare-airport-beekeeping-project-this-win-win-win-deserves-more"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>According to Grist</FONT></STRONG></A>, Sweet Beginnings is
targeting three problems with one, eco-friendly solution. Not only are they <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/07/savannah-bee-company/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>boosting the numbers of urban bees</FONT></STRONG></A>, they are
also helping people and productively using empty land near airports. The company
was established by to help fight the many problems facing North Lawndale
residents. The community struggles with common problems of inner city
neighbourhoods that include crime, drugs and poverty.</P>
<P>Their mission therefore is to help these people by transforming vacant,
neglected land into apiaries. The company operates as a paid training program
for residents with criminal backgrounds. Both state legislation and private
company policies make it very difficult for formerly convicted individuals to
find work, keeping them in a vicious cycle of crime.</P>
<P>Since 2007, about 200 former inmates have worked at Sweet Beginnings. The
recurring crime rate, or recidivism rate, for Sweet Beginnings employees is 4%
which is much lower than the national average of 65%. This initiative has given
many people a chance at a new life without crime. The company brings in
about $100,000 a year in sales and it projects sales of $2 million in five
years. It sells its products at 13 <A href="http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/08/locally-produced-defined-differently-major-grocery-chains/"><STRONG><FONT color=#3166b0>Whole Foods</FONT></STRONG></A> stores, in boutiques and farmers’
markets. They also plan on launching kiosks at the O’Hare and Midway airports.
So the next time you travel to Chicago, look out for them.</P>
<P><EM>Images: Top – Urban bee foraging for pollen. Photo Courtesy: Akhila
VIjayaraghavan ©. Bottom - Sweet Beginnings team members pose with
some of their products. Photo Courtesy: Sweet Beginnings.</EM></P></DIV>
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