Who We Are...

John McDonald founded SF Honey & Pollen Co. in 2006. His love for nature and the outdoors as well as his unforgiving curiosity, led him to the discovery of bees and honey. It began as a hobby and quickly evolved into something more. As he learned of the declining bee population and their important role in our everyday lives he made it his mission to become part of the urban beekeeping movement.

He began his journey through a friend and fellow beekeeper, learning the ins-and-outs of beekeeping and everything he needed to get started. Soon, John peaked the interest of his 12 year old daughter, Christina. Together, they built their own hive boxes and put three of them in the yard at his shop. Before they knew it, hives were in the backyards of family, friends, and neighbors. This of course, left him with more honey than he knew what to do with and a business was born. With the help of his family, he began bottling and selling his honey and teaching classes on beekeeping. They currently run hives in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area, helping to keep local organic farms alive through pollination!

Christina McDonald is a graduate of UC Davis, with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Plant Sciences she has taken over the family business. 

Christina's love for nature and the outdoors is evident in the way she approaches sharing what she has learned from her father and her own education. She leads our classes like a pro and also helps service hives throughout the Bay Area.