Lode Saliba Raffoul ’84 has put everything she learned during her time at The Ohio State University to good use in her native country of Brazil. Saliba Raffoul’s Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics came in handy three years ago when she began working as a beekeeper on an apiary she and her siblings inherited from their parents in Borebi, São Paulo.
“I practice natural beekeeping, which means I try to provide the most healthful natural environment in which bees can thrive,” Saliba Raffoul said. “My bees have lots of blooms from different plants in the spring and the fall to get them through the summer and winter with a diversity of medical local home plants and trees of eucalyptus.”
A family affair, Saliba Raffoul’s siblings – two of whom are also Ohio State graduates – support her apiary by bottling the honey. The siblings also wanted to keep the land inherited by their parents active and healthy, so they tend to the garden and fruit trees, which also help the bees to thrive.
“My love for the golden and sweet liquid and the story of the bee’s society and the simplicity of my first mentor, Mr. Helio, led me to have this apiary I cherish and respect,” Saliba Raffoul said. “Bees are committed to the good of the whole. The more you respect them, the more they teach you to work as a team. They have been profound teachers for me. Beekeeping is difficult, and you mostly learn through trial and error. I consider myself an amateur and lover of the pollinators I am privileged to keep.”