Today we say goodbye to Jakub Piven, a summer employee who has become a key beekeeper to our team since he began this season. So what made this world traveler, born in New York, raised in Israel and Barcelona, and a student in Maryland, end up in Boston with a beekeeping company? Jakub says it was his interest in the outdoors and the taste of honey that led him here. This upcoming dual-degree student, studying philosophy and the history of math and science, is a perfect example that an interest in honeybees ‘cross-pollinates’ between many different people. Jakub’s favorite thing during his time at the company was going on his routes. He loved getting to be on the road to travel to different parts of Massachusetts, seeing gardens, fields, flowers and the distinct landscape of each client’s home and hives. His passion to work with his hands was put to good use out in the field lifting heavy boxes of bees and honey frames, then uncapping/cranking extractors to jar individual client’s honey.
When Jakub isn’t putting in hours with our team he spends his time reading Tolstoy for school and for pleasure, cooking breakfast foods, as well as relaxing to the poetic lyrics of Courtney Barnett, an Australian musician. Jakub channels Plato, with a philosophy to never stop asking questions. His ability and drive to see everything in life through a holistically based outlook is just one example of his cosmopolitan nature. Jakub will be missed, but will surely not be forgotten. We look forward to keeping in touch with this intellectual, inspiring young man.
