Apr 132015
 

This post was written by Anna Bergren Miller for Shareable.net. With the Flow Hive’s Indiegogo campaign coming to an end in a week, and with this technology perfect for a yardfarmer who just wants a hive or two in her yard to help fertilize her crops and supply her with a bit of honey, we wanted to repost Anna’s essay here. Take a look at what could be the future of small-scale beekeeping below or support at Indiegogo.

Stuart and Cedar Anderson's Flow hive promises to revolutionize beekeeping. Credit: beefarm.ru

Stuart and Cedar Anderson’s Flow hive promises to revolutionize beekeeping. Credit: beefarm.ru

Stuart and Cedar Anderson have set the internet abuzz with their record-breaking Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. The father-and-son team’s Flow hive, a no-muss, no-fuss beehive designed to deliver honey on tap, smashed the crowdfunding site’s previous record of just over $5 million. As of April 11—the campaign runs another week—the Andersons have raised more than $9.5 million. (updated)

It is easy to see why Flow has attracted 26,595 funders (also updated). The invention eliminates the need for much of the dirty work involved in honey harvesting, from smoking and cracking open the hives to filtering the honey and cleaning and reinserting the frames. Flow’s patented frames instead connect directly to external taps, making filling your honey jar as easy as turning a handle. And the human beekeeper is not the only one whose life is made easier by Flow; the device minimizes disruptions to the bees themselves, making for a healthier, potentially more productive colony.

The Andersons, who plan to use their Indiegogo earnings to begin manufacturing Flow hives on a large scale, say they hope their invention will help raise awareness of the threats faced by honeybees and grow the worldwide community of backyard beekeepers. That would be a sweet outcome, indeed.

 April 13, 2015  Posted by  Tagged with: , , ,

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