The Bee Biz from a Historical Perspective
Former Project Apis m. Board Chair Pat Heitkam has been keeping bees since he took a colony for payment at his bike shop. That was 35 years ago, and he is now a major queen breeder in Northern California, a honey producer, and a commercial pollinator. He works for Heitkams’ Honey Bees in Orland, California, with his son Russell. Pat has served the beekeeping industry on the board and also as president of several organizations over the years, including the American Beekeeping Federation, the California State Beekeepers Association, and the California Bee Breeders Association. He is now retired.