Following the Bloom

Twelve months on the road with America's last cowboys: the migratory beekeepers. In this absorbing work of literary journalism, Douglas Whynott introduces us to the world of migratory beekeeping, a world composed of clandestine state-border crossings, dodgy rigs, and unforgettable characters. An updated edition of Whynott's classic account of his twelve months spent chasing the nectar flow with a few good men and women-and millions of honeybees-Following the Bloom tells the story of America's "last real cowboys." Overcoming catastrophic mechanical breakdowns, escaped bees that wreak havoc in suburban neighborhoods, and unfriendly state bee inspectors who threaten to burn entire bee colonies, these beekeepers truck hundreds of thousands of hives from state to state. From the cranberry bogs of Cape Cod and the blueberry fields of Maine to the clover fields of North Dakota and the orange groves of Florida, beekeeper and bee alike pursue the bloom. Seamlessly combining the remarkable physics of the beehive, the political realities of commercial beekeeping, and the compelling adventures of America's migratory beekeepers, Following the Bloompays homage to the hive, the honey, and the beekeeping cowboy.