Terri Giles grew up in Hinton, West Virginia, and earned her bachelor’s degree from Concord University in Athens. She worked in economic development for U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller in Charleston and Washington, D.C. She was tapped to represent the Senator in Japan in high-level meetings with Toyota Manufacturing, which ultimately located one of the state’s largest job creators in Buffalo, WV.
Terri then moved to Los Angeles to lead the Formosa Foundation. While on the West Coast, she earned a master’s degree at the University of Southern California.
Terri eventually returned home, where her passion for the non-profit Appalachian Headwaters (pollinators, native plant cultivation and reclaiming abandoned mine lands properly) has grown.
The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective has been the most visible achievement of Terri’s, and she is proud to talk extensively about her work on the frontlines with beekeepers, honey processing, marketing and fulfilling orders, research on how to help pollinators thrive throughout Central Appalachia and her work with policymakers on grants and federal agency partnerships to facilitate this initiative.
SHOW NOTES:
- 3:47 Terri, take a minute, fill in some gaps from that brief intro and give us a little behind the curtain look into The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective.
- 6:39 What is your 30 sec. pitch for The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective?
- 8:31 What does it take to get set up as a beekeeping partner?
- 9:28 How much space is necessary for beekeeping?
- 13:12 Do you think that becoming a beekeeper for The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective could be a great side business for people?
- 13:41 How many hives do your beekeepers typically start out with?
- 16:43 Aside from the courses and training you provide, how do you help people get set up for beekeeping?
- 24:51 PWV Commercial Break
- 25:27 What is the long term vision you have for The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective?
- 29:30 Can you tell us more about how The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective acts as the sales entity for the end product?
- 31:55 Can you tell us more about how you work with other artisans in WV?
- 33:01 How do you attract new customers to your business?
- 34:32 What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone who is interested in getting into beekeeping right now?
- 38:43 Is there anything else you’d like our listeners to know about your story or The Appalachian Beekeeping Collective?
- 39:58 What is the best way for people to get in contact with you?
- 42:04 Outro