The Energy of Bees with Rob Keller

This interview takes place on land that was originally inhabited by the Miwok, Patwin, and Wappo people. Live interview recorded on April 5, 2024.

Behind a facade of warehouses on the outskirts of downtown Napa is a field of soon-to-be flowering trees and native shrubs. Ceanothus, Cherry Plum, and Mustard greet me as old friends, full of the early promises of spring. The interview is running late as my audio cord breaks as I go to plug it in and Rob runs back to the barn to find another one. 

In this time, I wander the fields in search of the honey Bees I can hear thrumming in the distance. As I walk up to a lusciously fragrant, purplish blue Ceanothus in full bloom, I watch the bees as they dart from flower to flower, collecting the powdery residue. The earth smells fresh after a cleansing rain and buds are bursting into action propelling the bees to claim their mission with fervor. 

When Rob returns, amazingly with the perfect cord, we sit at a picnic table in the middle of his beekeeping operation. We talk about how he discovered his love for the bees; how in an effort to create art, he became connected to their life force energy, as he found his greater calling to cultivate sustainable living habitats with bees at the center of the hub. 

Learn more about Rob Keller.