John Hurst, MD, recently certified as a Master Beekeeper by the University of Georgia, began keeping honeybees at the suggestion of his wife more than 30 years ago. Although he now limits his practice to gynecology at Brookwood Women's Health PC, back then Hurst had a busy, unpredictable schedule delivering babies.

“Nona thought it would be a good stress reliever for me, which it has been,” Hurst says. ”I started with two hives during the spring of 1980. Now I’ve got about 20.”

Hurst became absorbed learning about the fascinating life of bees, including their biological features, social system and waggle-dance language. The queen in a honey bee colony is kept busy by laying as many as 2,000 eggs a day. The workers bees, all female, determine the type of egg the queen will lay, whether worker or drone, by the size of the cell they build for each egg. “She may be called the queen, but really it’s the workers that are in charge,” Hurst says.

In addition to being used as a condiment, honey is valued for its antibacterial qualities. Honey was used during the Civil war to treat wounds and has regained its popularity with health care providers, Hurst says. With the increase in antibiotic-resistant staph infections, honey is more often being used topically. It is also used for burn patients.

During his early years as a beekeeper, Hurst worked with only six hives in order to keep his time commitment manageable in light of his medical responsibilities, which included serving as president of the medical staff and past board chairman of Brookwood Medical Center.

After Hurst discontinued delivering babies in 1997, he expanded his beekeeping. He harvested about 12 to 20 gallons per year during the early years, but now produces 100 gallons, much of which he sells. “It’s become a hobby that actually pays for itself,” he says.

His wife, a Certified Beekeeper, helps him market the honey, labeled under their first names and Rockhurst Farm, their farm near Wilsonville. Honey produced at their farm and yard in Cahaba Heights is sold at farmers markets held at UAB and Brookwood hospitals as well as Oak Street Gardens Shop in Crestline Village.

Rockhurst Farm honey is popular so Hurst has to be sure to make plenty every year. While some beekeepers harvest honey throughout the bees’ honey-producing season, Hurst opts for once a year, converting his basement into a honey bottling factory for 10 days during July. “It’s a sticky job, so I prefer to get it all done at once,” Hurst says.

With all its advantages, honey comes at the price of occasional bee stings. Hurst was concerned about his strong response to stings early on. Now he gives presentations to reduce the public’s fear of bees. Unlike wasps and yellow jackets, honey bees will not pursue people to sting them. “The main thing is not to panic if you are stung,” he says. “There are few documented cases of people dying from bee stings each year, even for those who are allergic. In many cases it’s not the sting that kills someone, but their panic reaction, which may cause them to have a wreck.”

Hurst began working on his Master Beekeeper certification four years ago. The program is so challenging that in the 22 years the University of Georgia has offered it, only 16 people have advanced to the level of Master Beekeeper. “It was easier earning my medical degree,” he says.

All the hard work was worth it, Hurst says. The science and research intensive curriculum enhanced his ability to conduct bee research with his associate Michael Steinkampf, MD, director of Alabama Fertility Specialists. The two also participate in NASA’s HoneyBeeNet project, which monitors seasonal nectar flow.
 Hurst and Steinkampf have set up demonstration hives to educate the public. Hurst installed and managed the apiary at Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Steinkampf overlooks the one at the Zoo. NBC Channel 13 reporter Wendy Gardner in June featured Hurst and the Botanical Gardens apiary on Daytime Alabama.

Hurst is a board member of the Jefferson County Beekeepers Association, which meets at the Botanical Gardens every month. The group offers an introduction to beekeeping course at the garden each winter and students are able to purchase bees and other apiary supplies.

“Beekeeping is enjoyable but it can be tricky, so it’s a good idea to take the course,” Hurst says.
In addition to producing honey, Hurst and his wife produce hay at their farm for their horses. The two are Master Gardeners and she grows flowers, including zinnas for local florists. “I’ve got the bees and she grows the flowers, so it all kind of goes together,” he says.

They couple currently are launching a farm wedding destination business, taking advantage of the large pavilion they built at their farm for the wedding of one of their two daughters. Couples will be able to purchase small containers of Rockhurst Farms honey as take away gifts for their guests. “We’re thinking this will be something we’ll be able to enjoy working with into the future,” Hurst says.