Apothecary remedies
Story by Dee Dee Ellison ❖ Photos by Steven Porterfield
Beekeeper Rich Tyte serves as a mentor to new beekeepers.
A search for balance and serenity leads a couple and their family to southern West Virginia and to a new business opportunity and lifestyle.
A day in the life of Rich and Lisa Tyte is busy and at the same time peaceful. The wide front porch of their classic brick home built in 1914 and located in Bluefield, West Virginia’ s historic district is home to lush plants, comfortable furniture and a giant ginger cat named Bernie that was originally named Bernice.
“ We love it when animals choose us, smiles Lisa. We originally thought he was a female but on closer inspection, we realized that he was a male and was going to have to have a new name. Bernie seemed the obvious choice. He knew he had come home.”
Serendipity has certainly followed the couple. Rich who is originally from Connecticut and Lisa who hails from Charlotte, North Carolina have been married since 2005.“ We were a later in life couple, says Lisa but when Rich retired and my company was transitioning, we knew that we wanted to find a place in the country where we could relax and slow down.”
Rich adds“ I knew I wanted to raise bees again, it was time. I have raised bees since I was a kid with my uncles back in Connecticut but I needed space and land.”
That space ended up being a cabin in Bland Virginia.“ We started out with the cabin and just kept purchasing land around us. We planted organ-
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