3 people to get to know before trying to change the beekeeping ordinance

Published on June 2, 2016

Sometimes changing ordinances can leave you feeling standing alone, but stay strong.

Working through a policy change at any level of government is extremely difficult, especially when it comes to bees. At Beepods, we’ve helped to change a number of ordinances throughout Wisconsin and we are continuously getting more requests to help and this is why.

We have identified 3 key people who play a major role changing beekeeping ordinances.

Representative within the government that is responsible for leading the change. This could be a city councilperson, an alderman, a county representative, or really anyone on a committee for this. It is important to make sure that as a local champion trying to instill change through policy, make a strong effort to befriend and support this individual throughout the process. This is the person who may end up fielding all questions, calls, news and more. The closer a champion works with this person, the higher the success rate of changing the policy for the better will happen.
A local expert beekeeper or bee expert. More often than not, the government entity will want to speak with someone who has dealt in the field and has credible experience to answer any concerns. Typically this is a beekeeper who has been beekeeping for years. In this case, do your homework and make sure that this expert is on the same page as you. If they are not, it could be disastrous for moving the needle. This individual may also not be the best person for the job, if that’s the case, call us or find someone else. It could also be a researcher at the local college or university, in which case, be sure you understand their connection to the honeybees. Not all beekeepers or bee experts believe that everyone should have easy access to the ability to keep bees nor does it mean they will speak the same lingo that might be written up in other ordinances around the country. So find a good representative who believes in the cause.
The Media. The media will be your best advocate in making sure that the public at large understands what is happening and is informed with correct information. Often, ordinances will get stuck because a citizen has been misinformed at some point during their life or the process and may cause a major hiccup. Let the local newspaper help you with this by being the megaphone that can correctly disseminate the information needed so that everyone sees the positive and does not focus on the negative, like bee stings. If that happens, you might as well sting the ordinance and let it swell up and blow up.

Long story short, get to know the key players in the game. Most people will want to help, as long as it is for a good cause.

Beepods team members are always willing to help individuals with permitting and with changing their local ordinance. Just ask!

Check out some of the ordinances Beepods helped to change:

Gain Access to Our Complete Beekeeping Ordinance Guide Now
Are you interested in taking the next step in bringing change to your city’s beekeeping laws?

Sign up to gain access to our complete guide, called, "How to Change Your City's Beekeeping Ordinance" that contains templates and examples of everything a beekeeper or community member needs in order to make a positive change in their city.

Included in the guide are email templates you can use when talking with your city officials, example policies that city officials can refer to when writing their ordinances, tips of how to create momentum in your city by gaining public support, a sample press release to get the media interested and the public educated about a pending beekeeping ordinance discussion in their city, and much more.
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Brad James

Brad James is Beepods CEO. He covers the business of beekeeping and implementation of beekeeping systems from every angle -- as well as occasional other topics. Before joining Beepods, Brad has helped many startups get off the ground through implementing organizational strategy that leverages current personnel and implementing tried and true business processes that promote business growth and leadership development. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @BJJames23.