The Bee Journey

Beekeeper Sarah Red-Laird drives her bees to the beautiful orchards of Frog Hollow Farm in Brentwood, California, to help pollinate plum trees. We follow her journey as she buzzes down from Ashland, Oregon, to meet Farmer Al Courchesne, a longtime organic farmer. They bond over the sweet taste of fresh honey and a shared passion for helping our planet.

Beekeeper Sarah Red-Laird

A lifelong fascination with bees results in a thriving business in Oregon.

Farmer Al Courchesne

A papaya plantation dream in Hawaii leads to a flourishing organic farm in California.

The (Food) People of Southern Oregon

Ashland, Oregon, is awash in farmers and makers and small-batch food entrepreneurs.

1 / total Sarah has connected with bees since she was young. Here, she rests her hands peacefully on her bee friends. Photo by Kyle Repka

2 / total Sarah observes her hives as she prepares to suit up and check on the bees. Photo by Jay Zschunke

3 / total Sarah names each of her hives after queens like Elizabeth and Cleopatra. Each hive can have 30,000 workers and one queen. Photo by Jay Zschunke

4 / total Farmer Al and Sarah share stories while strolling through the Frog Hollow orchards. Photo by Jay Zschunke

5 / total In mid-March, Frog Hollow Farm’s plum trees bloom with beautiful white flowers that fill the air with a sweet, refreshing scent. Photo by Jay Zschunke

6 / total The bees inside each hive take on the personality of its queen bee, who is the mother of most, if not all, the bees. Photo by Jay Zschunke

7 / total Applying smoke interrupts the bees' defense reaction, allowing beekeepers to open the hive for inspection. Photo by Jay Zschunke

8 / total Farmer Al eagerly awaits a taste of fresh honey straight from the beehive. The flavor depends on the plants that bees gather nectar from. Photo by Jay Zschunke

9 / total A curious worker bee lands peacefully on Farmer Al’s hand before he and Sarah harvest fresh honey. Photo by Jay Zschunke

10 / total Sarah collects, packages and sells her raw wildflower honey. Profits go directly toward bee education and habitat conservation. Photo by Jay Zschunke

11 / total As seen from Frog Hollow Farm, the sun sets over Mount Diablo, whose name is derived from reports of hauntings and local folklore. Photo by Jay Zschunke