A collection of hives is called an apiary, or a bee yard. The word apiary immediately produces a picture in my mind from Aesop's fables, way back when ancient Greeks and Romans donned veils and gloves and coaxed honey and pollinating skills from hives. The whole act has changed little in 2,500 years. When we see a stack of white boxes, we are looking at a large, flourishing colony. They produce lots more nuts.
Beekeepers love it because they can be independent.
Beekeepers make their money leasing the hives for pollination and selling honey. Some people even claim it helps their allergies. Through the center of the garden, where classes are held in wisteria-shaded gazebos, we walk on toward the production shed. Their enzymes change the nectar, giving it a sort of trans-species je ne sais quoi . Once gathered, nectar has transmuted into honey.