Meet the Urban Beekeepers Behind Astor Apiaries
Nick Hoefly never planned to become a professional beekeeper. But in 2015, when he came across a crowdfunding campaign for a flow hive (a simpler, yet slower process for extracting honey from hives that allows for minimal bee contact), he thought it might be fun. His wife, Ashley, didn’t share his enthusiasm at first. She has since come around. “The first time I tasted our honey, I fell in love,” she says.
Inspired by that flow hive experiment, Nick quickly became smitten with beekeeping. He and a friend set up some hives on Nick’s roof and they had a productive first season. “People kept asking me for honey,” he says, and so he decided to start his own full-service bee company—Astor Apiaries was born.
That first hive has multiplied into six traditional hives on his Astoria rooftop, two in a neighbor's yard and 20 at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. But what do the neighbors think about all the swarming around? “Oh, they didn’t even notice until I mentioned it,” says Nick. “They think it’s pretty cool too.”
Astor Apiaries bees produce eight varieties of honey including New York City Raw and exciting flavors such as orange blossom and one infused with ghost peppers. Honey varietals and beeswax wraps (a reusable eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap) can now be purchased on their website and at local markets such as the Queens Craft Brigade, Queens Botanical Garden, Whisk in Brooklyn and at farmers markets around Astoria. Nick and Ashley can also frequently be spotted with a hive at local events, showcasing their bees in action, and educating people about the beekeeping process.
Last year saw the launch of hive tours, mead-making workshops, beekeeping classes and a beginners’ beekeeping course at Green-Wood Cemetery. Next up: Astor Apiaries is expanding their reach with a line of soaps made with their honey and beeswax, slated to launch in late 2019.
While Nick handles the majority of the physical labor, Ashley works behind the scenes on marketing and bookkeeping, though you will occasionally find her suited up to handle the bees. They both also have day jobs and are raising two young children, all while running the business from their Astoria home. The term busy bees comes to mind.
Anyone who has some unused space in a yard or on a rooftop can hire Astor Apiaries to install hives. Nick maintains the bees and the host reaps the sweet reward. It’s a win win win for Astor Apiaries, the host and the environment.
