The River-Bee Homegrown Honey Story
Here we are again, holding our breath (well, not literally) to see how the bees fare over the winter. As most people know, bees are an essential, but oh-so fragile part of the ecosystem. They can be easily weakened by mites and viruses, not to mention bears, and there are no guarantees when you tuck them in for the winter. We love being part of the backyard movement to help sustain bee populations in our area. Where did our interest begin? When Rick was young, his dad, Ted, hunted the “wild” bees. Armed with only a cigar box and a bit of anise oil and sugar water, he would study the flight of the bees visiting his box, and locate their tree. One of the most satisfying moments we have had as beekeepers came when Rick’s sisters tasted our fall honey, and remarked, “Oh! It tastes just like the honey Daddy used to get!” So in 2015, Rick and Trevor decided to take the beginning beekeeper classes, study You-Tube nightly, get some nucs, and there you go, River-Bee Homegrown Honey was born! We work all year in our three small apiaries to produce enough honey for our Honey House in Hale Eddy and several craft/artisan shows that we attend. Besides our various sizes of honey, we also have added honey products over the years. We sell creamed honey, our wildly popular preservative-free dog treats, and seasonal birdseed ornaments. When I have enough wax, I also make and sell amazing beeswax candles that literally clean the air as they burn. Hey, everything about these bees is amazing! The more we learn, the more we are in awe of these small, hard working, productive, social creatures. The plan for the future is to keep expanding, especially as more and more people realize the health benefits of raw honey, AND as long as our bees cooperate!
