They might be easy to take for granted, but honeybees make a significant contribution to your daily diet. Honeybees pollinate at least 70 crops produced in Ohio each year, including apples, pumpkins, cucumbers, strawberries, and sunflowers.
“Every third bite of food or drink we consume, honeybee pollination had something to do with it,” says David Heilman, owner of Ohio Honey Farms in Wooster and a member of Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative. “Honeybees aren’t the only pollinators, but they account for about 80% of the pollination of U.S.-grown crops.”
Honeybee pollination increases fruit and seed production, meaning higher yields. It also enhances crop quality by improving size and flavor of produce. Pollination also supports ecosystem health by maintaining biodiversity.
Honeybees pollinate at least 70 crops produced in Ohio each year, including apples, pumpkins, cucumbers, strawberries, and sunflowers.
Heilman manages nearly 800 hives, which he hires out to farmers. Half of his hives travel out of state, but he estimates his bees alone help Ohio growers produce
$10 million to $15 million worth of crops each year.
Oh, and by the way, those busy workers also make one of the more luscious food products on the planet. Heilman’s bees produce more than 35,000 pounds of honey annually.
Operating a honeybee farm is not an easy job, and beekeepers and their hives face numerous challenges. Honeyrun Farm is a small family-operated farm owned by Isaac and Jayne Barnes just outside Williamsport in Pickaway County, where they are members of Lancaster-based South Central Power Company.
Honeyrun Farms keeps 400 hives of honeybees, focusing their efforts on seasonal honey production and the pollination of apple orchards in central Ohio.
“Increased farmland development and greater use of chemical sprays on farm fields threaten honeybees,” says Jayne Barnes. “Farmers often remove tree lines between fields to maximize the amount of land that can be farmed, and that decreases bees’ access to forage on trees and wildflowers.”
Parasitic mites and drastic changes in the weather also play a significant role in the loss of honeybees each year. Doug Fitch is owner of Fitch Pharm Farm in Ashland, where he is a retired pharmacist, farmer, and maple syrup producer. A member of Firelands Electric Cooperative, he’s also been a beekeeper for the past 38 years.
“We gather feral bees from old barns and houses with swarm traps and use them to strengthen our hives,” Fitch says. “It is survival of the fittest. These bees are the strongest and know how to survive cold winters, and they produce the best honey.”
You can help
Apiarists say homeowners can do a few simple things to make life easier for honeybees:
- Replace annuals with pollinator-attracting perennials in landscaping
- Reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides
- Buy honey from local honey producers
Sweetness
If you’re looking to buy honey in your area or are interested in beekeeping, these honeybee farms are among those you might turn to (*indicates an Ohio electric cooperative member):
Bee Barn of Southeast Ohio
450 Coffman Road, Marietta; 740-516-0421
Along with honey, the Bee Barn sells a full line of beekeeping equipment, including Honey B Healthy products, bee suits, gloves, and more.
Bee Dad Honeybees
470 Sunbury Meadows Drive, Sunbury; 440-781-5635
Nick Szucs not only owns Bee Dad, he’s also a part-time registered nurse and full-time stay-at-home dad. He sells bees and honey and enjoys preparing each hive for the season ahead.
Cherry City Honey Farm and Apiary
1000 County Road 312, Bellevue; 567-228-0455
Visit Cherry City Honey to discover the rich flavors and educational experiences, including workshops at the farm, tour bus presentations, bee equipment, and recipes using honey on their website.
Combs Bee Farm
235 W. Center St., Milford Center; 937-537-1739
Combs Bee Farm specializes in beeswax, raw local honey, bee equipment, and handmade soap. Through a USDA-funded project, Combs is working to improve the quality of queen bees and promote disease prevention.
*Don Popp’s Honey Farm
3134 Oxford Middletown Road, Hamilton; 513-312-1427
This vast farm on the western Ohio border maintains more than 1,900 hives. A member of Butler Rural Electric, Popp’s Honey Farm produces honey and distributes products throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky.
*Fitch Pharm Farm
1591 Township Road 1353, Ashland; 419-281-4407
Firelands Electric Cooperative member Doug Fitch and his family take pride in running a natural farm, where they produce maple syrup, pancake mix at their grist mill, and raw honey from 24 hives.
Hartville Honey Bee Farm
2644 Wright Road NW, Uniontown; 330-324-6023
Hartville Honey produces 100% pure wildflower honey straight from the hive to the jar. The farm also sells bees and queens, and rents bee equipment, including beehive kits.
*Honeyrun Farm
9642 Randle Road, Williamsport; 330-763-4752
Isaac and Jayne Barnes, members of South Central Power Company, try to be good stewards as owners of Honeyrun Farm, where they produce several varieties of honey, hand-crafted soap, and beeswax candles. “We strive to produce environmentally mindful goods while ensuring the health and survival of our honeybees,” says Jayne Barnes.
Kline Honey Bee Farm
3015 OH-14, Rootstown; 330-730-4044
Kline Honey Bee Farm is a 34-acre, century-old working farm in Rootstown that takes pride in supporting the community and bringing fresh, pure products right to the kitchen table.
Mike’s Bees and Honey
8735 County Road 304, Forest; 419-365-9922
Mike Jablonski learned his beekeeping skills from his grandfather and has been working with bees since the age of 13. He specializes in quality queen bees, nucs, and bee services.
Nana’s Honey
24062 Hull Prairie Road, Perrysburg; 419-367-9192
Don’t blink or you just might miss the little cabin in Perrysburg known as Nana’s Honey Hive. Stop in to talk with the owner about bees and shop for quality raw honey and products made from wax.
*Ohio Honey Farms
4346 Lattasburg Road, Wooster; 330-466-7162
With nearly 800 hives, Holmes-Wayne Electric Cooperative member Dave Heilman hires out his bees to farmers both in Ohio and out of state for pollination. He produces honey, beeswax, and queen bees for sale.
*Weiss Honeybee Farms
6334 Dayton-Brandt Road, Tipp City; 513-549-3131
Members of Pioneer Electric Cooperative, the Weiss family has been producing and selling honey since 2019. “We strive to bring the honey straight from the hive to your table,” says Bernie Weiss.
*Williams Honey Bees
46 Porter Ave. #8011, Frankfort; 740-998-4380
Dan and Cortney Williams have turned their hobby into one of the largest queen bee-rearing operations in the state. With more than 800 hives, the South Central Power Company members make honey and use their beeswax to make soaps and lip balm.
