Things are a bit hectic at Kate Fraser’s home in Metchosin these days, with chickens, horses, cats, bees and children all running around the property.
That will change in the coming weeks, as Fraser is getting set to rent some of her beehives to help raise funds for a well-known heritage house in Victoria.
Fraser runs Bees Please Farms, a local business that rents hives and chickens to residents around the Capital Region. Residents can rent two of Fraser’s 56 hives at a time, beginning in May. She brings over the hives, which are constructed to look like a showpiece in people’s gardens rather than a traditional hive, and comes over a few times a month to maintain them.
“It really stems from people knowing about the plight of the bees, and what they’re up against and wanting to support them, but not wanting to become a beekeeper,” said Fraser. She added that bees provide pollination for people’s gardens and can also be a source of entertainment.
“It’s an option to really help increase the bee population.”
Her chickens can be rented from May to October in groups of two to four (as the feathered friends do better in groups), and Fraser will provide a specially-designed, two-level chicken coop, organic food and a water dish. Two hens can produce roughly a dozen eggs a week.
Renting chickens allows people to try chicken ownership, she said, without having to commit in the long-term. Once a person has the foundation, owning chickens is similar to having a cat: they need to be fed and their poop needs to be cleaned up.
“They’re really entertaining; people love to watch them and play with them,” Fraser said, adding a number of people name their chickens as well.
It’s an idea that started when she gave birth to her son and wanted to grow food for her young family. That’s when she realized she wanted to provide the same organic lifestyle to residents who might not have the space or ability to do so.
After a quick Google search, she came across Rent the Chicken in Seattle, which offered similar services in Montreal, Toronto and Quebec.
Since then, her business has grown, with the family recently moving to a three-acre farm in Metchosin – luxury living, as Fraser calls it, for her furry and feathered friends.
Now, Fraser is giving back to the community through Point Ellice House on Pleasant Street in the Rock Bay neighbourhood. Originally, the heritage house wanted to rent a few hives, but since it is undergoing renovations this year, it was not in the cards.
That’s when Fraser decided to donate two of her hives to Point Ellice. People can donate a minimum of $100, which permits them access to the grounds and jars of honey. People can also visit their bees as well.
For more information on the bees program at Point Ellice House, email kate@beespleasefarms.com.
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