Sonoma County today announced a three-year agreement with Tauzer Apiaries of Northern California to host up to 120 beehives seasonally on a portion of vacant county property adjacent to the Healdsburg Transfer Station, the county’s refuse disposal and recycling facility on Alexander Valley Road.
The beehive storage license agreement was brought forward by the Sonoma County Department of Public Infrastructure and approved by the Board of Supervisors on Dec. 13, 2022.
Beginning in early spring, beehives will be installed in a 5,000-square-foot area on pallets of four hives each, at least 100 feet away from occupied structures and public areas. Under the terms of the agreement, Tauzer Apiaries will monitor and inspect the hives in accordance with industry standards and pay the county $5 per colony annually to host the honeybees.
Under Sonoma County code, county property can be made available at less than market rate if the Board of Supervisors determines a valid community interest and the property is not needed by the county for the proposed term.
For more information about the county agreement with Tauzer Apiaries, please contact the Department of Public Infrastructure at (707) 565-2231, or Rachel Morrison, outreach and education manager for Tauzer Apiaries, at (707) 242-6161 or rachel@solabeefarms.com.
