Market Memories: Bill Snyders
May 8, 2013
Bill Snyders of Snyders Honey shares his story and gratitude for the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market community.
I grew up in La Honda, California, where my grandfather had purchased property after he emigrated from the Netherlands in the 1930s. He had a nursery. My father took over the property and became a park ranger for the San Mateo County Park System and became a beekeeper. I’m not sure if his original intent was to harvest and sell honey, but that is what my parents eventually did.
As a toddler I grew up with honeybees and learned how to nurture and take care of them. We built a honey extracting facility on our property and purchased the necessary equipment to harvest larger quantities of honey as we grew with more hives.
My mother began to sell honey in San Francisco at the Alemany Market in the 1970s and where my father, Jan Snyders, still sells honey there today. I became more involved as I grew older and purchased my first International Bobtail Flat Bed truck when I was 18 years old. Demand was growing for almond pollination, and I was able to use my truck to fill the need for almond pollination in California using my bees during the flowering season.
This extra money helped me to invest in my education in aviation. I was able to attain all the necessary licenses and time to obtain my first aviation job as a pilot. Since then, I have progressed as a commercial aviation pilot. This is all thanks to my honeybees.
Today, my wife, Ann, and I have continued our love for nature and the honeybees and started doing our own farmers markets here in San Francisco. We are very grateful to be a part of CUESA and the Ferry Plaza Farmer Market and their efforts to build a sustainable farmers market community. We are passionate about what we do, and it is important to build a sustainable bee farming community. We are privileged to be involved in a market with farmers who are passionate and committed to what they do and we thank you, the local shoppers, for supporting our efforts!
Topics: Community, Farmers market, Market Memories