Kelli S. Hewett
David Ball with his Moonstruck Divine Honey
David Ball holds a jar of Moonstruck Divine Honey, produced from the hives he has tended for about seven years.
David Ball never expected honey bees to change his life.
A real estate developer and principal with The Dobbins Group in downtown Homewood, Ball picked up beekeeping about seven years ago after his wife, Libby Lassiter, took a course at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and realized the hives might be better suited to his temperament.
She was right.
“Working with bees, I’ve learned a lot about life,” said Ball, whose hives now produce about 1,000 pounds of honey a year. “I go out there, and I learn from them every day. They’re not a selfish creature. All they do is make our environment better. Then at the end of the day, they share their honey with us. How could it get much better than that?”
And this month, as the temperatures warm up, so does local bee season, which usually peaks in April and May.
Ball’s penchant for routines and schedules made him a natural fit for daily work of the bees, which are classified as “livestock” by state and federal agricultural regulations.
But it’s also become a family affair. Ball touts Libby’s creativity and marketing savvy with packaging and selling their Moonstruck Divine Honey. Daughter Alex helps run the operation, too.
“It’s agriculture,” Ball said. “There are high highs and low lows and everything in between. And that’s been the greatest thrill for me — learning daily and working through the challenges.”
Central Alabama’s warm climate has made it a popular place for beekeeping.
“Alabama has a rich history of beekeeping,” said Mike Soike, president of the Jefferson County Beekeepers’ Association. “I think there’s a lot more beehives than people realize in the community. We’re able to keep a pretty healthy supply of bees all year round, and I think that’s made it a popular and relatively easy hobby to maintain.”
Ball says his commitment to bees has reshaped how he sees work, relationships and even his faith.
“I’m a better person because I work with bees,” Ball said. “It’s affected the way I look at my job and issues and troubles and challenges. It certainly impacts the way I interact with my family.”
Instead of forcing outcomes, Ball said he has learned to observe — watching activity at the hive entrance, checking brood patterns and reading subtle cues about the colony’s health. He brings that same outlook to his high-pressure development projects and to his family.
“It’s made me a more intuitive person; it’s made me a more patient person,” Ball said. “I don’t have to know it all right now. I don’t have to make it all happen right now. I can work through it. Nothing happens immediately in a hive. You’re never going to make the bees do anything. If you understand them, they will tell you what they need.”
For Ball, beekeeping is even quietly spiritual.
“It’s calming,” he said. “It taxes your mind. It gives you a tremendous feeling of satisfaction when you succeed. It makes you draw on your faith and your tenacity when it doesn’t. There aren’t too many farmers who are atheists. God created bees. And it really helps to remember that.”
Learn more about Moonstruck Divine Honey at moonstruckhoney.com.
