
ABOUT YAKIM'S APIARY
My Story
My name is John Yakim and this is how I got here.
I have been a pharmacist for over 30 years. Most of my career has been as in independent pharmacist in a compounding only practice.
Back in 2014, I got the bright idea that I wanted to keep bees. There was no environmental or political motivation. They just sounded fascinating.
That July, I purchased my first bee colony from a man who would very quickly become my friend. And I moved my new colony of bees to my backyard in Monroeville.
Almost 6 years later, I have bees in several bee yards in and around Monroeville including Penn Hills, Plum, White Oak and McKeesport. I have become involved in several beekeeping organizations. I am the recent past president of the Beaver Valley Area Beekeepers Association and I am the chair of the Western PA Beekeepers Seminar. And, I produce lots and lots of honey.
Currently, I sell honey at my pharmacy and a handful of vendors around town. I sell most of my honey at various farmers markets. Some of the markets, like Monroeville and Forest Hills, I sell directly to the consumer and others, like Renze and Swissvale, I sell to a vendor who sales my product.
To say it has been fun is an understatement. Beekeeping is fascinating. And honey is delicious.