Bees (and other pollinators) are an essential part of America's agricultural industry, accounting for roughly one-third of the food we eat. California's vast almond industry, in particular, is completely dependent on pollination--but California doesn't have enough of its own bees to pollinate all the almond trees. In "The Super Bowl of Beekeeping," a long-form essay published in The New York Times Magazine on August 15, 2018, Jaime Lowe explores the world of the beekeepers whose domesticated honeybees travel around the country every year to pollinate almonds in California, blueberries in Maine, apples in Washington, and other crops. Today, the futures of these bees and beekeepers are threatened by dangers such as parasites, pesticides, and even international tariffs. As one beekeeper explains to Lowe, "Beekeepers are pushed into the margins. [...] We're doing things we never imagined would even be a factor in beekeeping." This essay is also accompanied by multiple photographs taken by Ilona Szwarc.
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