Spring is fast approaching, and that means the bees are waking up at Pam and Craig McKinder’s farm.  Craig is a 7th generation farmer, and while there is some livestock to take care of, he and Pam have chosen bees as their focus for the land.  They have been keeping bees for the last 8 years, and expanded into candle making about 3 years ago.  They offer bulk “mechanics wax”, and have also started producing “Riley’s Beeswax Paw Balm”.  Their business has grown to the point that it no longer fits in their dining room, so they have constructed a “Bee Barn” in front of the house to hold the honey processing and candle making equipment.  Once the Bee Barn is open for business it will also be used to sell their honey and candle products,  and serve as an informal gathering place for the community.  They are working to make sure the space is handicap accessible, and they plan to install an “observation hive” so the public can safely have an up-close look at the hive activity. The majority of the hives they keep are on the farm, but they also take care of hives on nearby properties.  Pam explained that it can be difficult to find acreage that isn’t chemically treated with things that are harmful to the bees, but it is one of their priorities for the long term health of each hive. She says “It’s the difference between having bees, and keeping bees.”  In addition to producing honey and related products, Pam and Craig will also help with swarm pickups, and have removed hives from houses too. Their goal is to grow the business to the point where they can retire from other things and enjoy this full time.  They would like to get their extraction room certified, so they can help other beekeepers with extraction.  Opening the Bee Barn to sell their products from is an exciting upcoming step! You can also find their products locally at places like Plane Foods in Stockbridge and the Waterloo Farm Museum.

Like their Facebook page to keep up with the fun, and watch for announcements about their upcoming Grand Opening event!