Generations of Beekeeping In Kentucky

Without the help of these sometimes pesky insects, many crops would cease to exist, which is why healthy bees are crucial to our food supply. Beekeeping isn't the most straightforward of processes. Extracting honey from bees requires an assortment of equipment. That's why Walter Kelley began inventing new tools for extracting honey. One of his most important inventions was the queen cage, which eases the transition of queen bees. 'This Built America' explores what makes the Walter T. Kelley Company unique.

In addition to pioneering methods of beekeeping, the Kelley Company also happens to employ three generations of one family. Maxine Edwards, who has worked with the company for 42 years, works with her own daughter Sondra Wilson, a Kelley Company employee for 12 years. Recently, Sondra's daughter Jessica Lowe joined the business, where she has worked for nine months.

One of Kelley's standard business practices was to have his sales employees learn the catalog by heart, which, according to Maxine, was at one point 42 pages. This may seem like a difficult task, but the payoff is worth it. Kelley customers never have to wait on the phone to have their queries answered.

Watch the 'This Built America' video above to learn more about the Kelley Company and its beekeeping business.

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