About Us
A brief history of Jackie Park Burris Queens, Inc.
The early Years...
Jackie Park-Burris is a 2nd generation beekeeper
Jackie Park Burris was born into the Park Beekeeping Family of Northern California. Her Uncle Homer Park, the patriarch of the family, started playing with honeybees in the early 1930’s. He kept his first beehives on the Park Family ranch in Palo Cedro, Ca, where Jackie herself was later raised and currently resides. Homer would go on to become one of the most prolific and influential queen breeders in the country. He later convinced his younger brother Jack Park, Jackie’s father, to start his own bee business in 1963; thus, the Park Family Beekeeping tradition was born.
This is when Jackie joined the workforce, at age eight!
Homer & Lois Park with a very young Dr. Eric Mussen
The later years...
Jackie was managing the queen rearing portion of her parents’ bee business when her father unexpectedly passed away in 1988. Jackie purchased the queen rearing portion of her parents’ business and the original Park family farm. In 1994 Jackie Park-Burris Queens, Inc. was formed and Jackie began breeding her own Park Italian Queens.
Being actively involved in the bee industry has always been important to the Park family and Jackie has continued that tradition. She has been on the California State Beekeeper Association (CSBA) Board of Director for over twenty years. She has served as their President and is currently their Legislative Chairman. She became the first woman President of the California Bee Breeders Association and the first woman Chairman of the California State Apiary Board. She was honored as the CSBA Young Beekeeper of the year in 1997 and as Beekeeper of the year by CSBA in 2009. She was privileged to receive the President’s award from CSBA President Brad Pankratz in 2015.
Sue Cobey & Jackie
Jackie explaining how she starts her queen cells to a queen rearing class from UC Davis
Jackie talking about the importance of the Breeder Queens
Helping Beth sale Haff honey in ND
Semi load of Jackie's girls headed to MT for the summer
Legacy
Today, Jackie Park-Burris Queens Inc., produces thousands of Park Italian Queens per year, along with nuc sides for sale.
Jackie serves on the Honey Bee Species Committee for the National Animal Germplasm Program for the URS-USDA. Jackie’s Park Italian Queen stock is now being preserved in Fort Collins, CO in the National Germplasm Lab.
After practicing law in Las Vegas, Nevada for a number of years, Jackie’s son Ryan has returned to the family business to continue with the family tradition of producing Park Italian Queens.
