Wootens Golden Queens
In 1966 Shannon Wooten went to work for Homer Park, near Palo Cedro in Northern California. Thus was his introduction to beekeeping.
Homer was an excellent teacher, strict on how to do things the right way, and a knowledgeable beebreeder. Without realizing it, Shannon became a beekeeper. And of course there was the boss’s daughter, Glenda, already a beekeeper, grafter and superb organizer.
Wootens Golden Queens are in the business of producing bees – bees for nuc production, bees for pollination, bees for honey production and specialized queen bees. Each is examined here as a separate entity, but certainly not run that way, since each interacts with, affects and is affected by the other.
Today, the business has ten full time and four part time employees, produces 25,000 queens, 4,000 three-frame nucs, and rents about 3,500 colonies for almond pollination. The truck fleet consists of one-ton flatbeds with booms, a Baby Freightliner, a Peterbuilt, 5-wheel trailers and crew cab pickups. Most hives are relocated over five times a year.
Wooten’s Golden Queens is located in Palo Cedro, California, east of Redding, right at the north end of the valley. On the ranch they own they keep a few cattle and some horses, and their business complex. Large enclosed warehouses dominate the scene.
Check out the website listed above for more information about Wootens Golden Queens
|
