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Eberlin apiary keeps growing At 27 years of age with a masters in new media, Krists Ēberliņš seems an unlikely beekeeper. But for 5 years he has been running the family apiary in Nīgrande, Latvia. Equipment bought with EU support has enabled the apiary to grow from 1 to 350 bee colonies, create new products and build up exports. The family are now considering modernising production facilities and hiring more staff.
Krists Ēberliņš started working with bees while still at primary school, gradually becoming the driving force behind his family's apiary. Its origins can be traced back to the mid-19th century, but after the Soviet occupation of Latvia the family had to start again from scratch. A neighbour gave them a bee colony in 1999.
Modernisation began when the Eberlin family got EU funding in 2011. Their first purchase was a high-performance honey extractor to replace a hand-operated device. The hives were also upgraded to accommodate 350 colonies, hold heat in better and make it easier to care for the bees. Later, packing facilities and bee bread production technology were acquired. Thanks to its bee bread, the Eberlin apiary was able to start exporting.
The family is planning to further improve facilities and expand activities. Krists also talks to schoolchildren and tourist groups about the life of bees, plant pollination and the benefits of honey.
Eberlin apiary: