I had always loved honey, and was fascinated by bees from a young age. There really is a whole world of fascinating bee facts, and science is adding every day to our understanding of these amazing creatures.

Andrea Persico, Austinmer Beekeeper

Tell us about your background, eg your involvement with food, travel, tourism.

I’ve had a really diverse career, from business management to tour guide in Tuscany. Food probably didn’t mean so much to me until I was living in Florence and got to know the slow food movement and the Italian food culture. As a tour guide we focused largely on sharing the way food production and eating was centred in the culture and celebrated. In Italy I became a beekeeper and that led me to start Austinmer Beekeeper when we moved back to Australia. 

I started Austinmer Beekeeper when my youngest was born (a really bad idea; beekeeping and babies don’t mix!) and then a year later had my friend Claire Brown joined me in business. We’ve been running 40 hives, selling honey locally, teaching beekeeping and rescuing feral swarms. 

Andrea Persico, Austinmer Beekeeper

How did you become passionate about bees – including what is Austinmer Beeker, how did it come to be, who is involved?

I had always loved honey, and was fascinated by bees from a young age. There really is a whole world of fascinating bee facts, and science is adding every day to our understanding of these amazing creatures. I started Austinmer Beekeeper when my youngest was born (a really bad idea; beekeeping and babies don’t mix!) and then a year later had my friend Claire Brown joined me in business. We’ve been running 40 hives, selling honey locally, teaching beekeeping and rescuing feral swarms. 

Tell us a bit about why bees are important in the ecosystem and the food system.

Bees are important pollinators in the agriculture industries, but they’re non native, and so really need to be controlled so they don’t out compete natives for habitat and resources. People are often asking me about bees being under threat, but the reality is that the whole insect world, the basis of the food chain is collapsing due to pesticide use and climate change. European honey bees, Apis Melifera, are really effective nectar gatherers and pollinators, and the interaction of these creatures with the native flora of Australia is fascinating. 

What does fair food mean to you?

Fair food to me means food that is produced without detriment to the wider ecosystem and that is produced without animal cruelty or wage slavery. I could do a lot more to shop and eat more mindfully, but I would like to see these things protected in legislation in Australia.

I know you have many projects on the boil, tell us a bit about the other things you are involved with, such as the Make Do Library.

Make-Do Library of Things is a marvelous place where several good things happen. By having a lending library of rarely needed but common items we can reduce the carbon footprint of members, save people a lot of space and money, and bring community together in the sharing of things. We’ve had several great events as well, before COVID, such as a family bike day and plant and crop swaps, where backyard growers swapped food, seeds and advice. It’s been an honor to be a part of it. 

By having a lending library of rarely needed but common items we can reduce the carbon footprint of members, save people a lot of space and money, and bring community together in the sharing of things.

Andrea Persico, Austinmer Beekeeper

And what’s next for you?

We’ve got a major new adventure coming up; moving to Tasmania! We’re keen to get back to food and wine tourism, and continue to expound our values of community, sustainabilty and connection.  We hope to maintain a connection to the Illawarra, but will be busy carving out a slice of paradise on the Apple Isle.

Thanks Andrea! Good luck with your next adventure!

For more information check out the Austinmer Beekeeper Instagram or Facebook page.