A move to a bigger space finally gave us the opportunity to make our dream a reality. With excitement buzzing, we started searching for beehives and soon welcomed two nucs into our lives. And just like that, our beekeeping journey began—a blend of curiosity, learning, and a whole lot of love for these incredible little creatures.

After a year with our two little hives, we were completely hooked—and so were our friends and family! Our delicious honey quickly became a hit, and before we knew it, every harvest disappeared as soon as it was bottled. The growing demand left us with only one solution: a little bee math! 1 hive plus 1 hive is 5 hives? Right?

In 2022, our beekeeping journey took a bittersweet turn. We received incredible news—we had purchased a beautiful rural property, the perfect place to expand our growing apiary! But along with this excitement came a challenge: the arrival of varroa mite in Australia. At the time, we had eight thriving hives, but adapting to the changes and learning how to protect our bees was no small task. We faced this uncertain time with resilience, hope, and countless prayers that the government’s efforts could contain the mite and safeguard the future of beekeeping.

While the government worked tirelessly to eradicate varroa, 2023 brought heartbreaking news—our hives were impacted. Determined to protect our bees and maintain the purity of our honey, we dove into research and committed to using only organic treatments. It was a steep learning curve, but we adapted, finding ways to live with this new reality while keeping our hives healthy and thriving. By then, we had grown to 10 hives, and every day felt like a battle to keep our little ladies safe.

Winter brought its own challenges, and we sadly lost a couple of hives. But despite the setbacks, we remained determined and managed to grow our apiary to 12 hives across three sites. Thankfully, our rural property has stayed free of varroa so far, and we’re holding onto hope that it stays that way for as long as possible. Each season teaches us something new, and we’re grateful for every moment spent caring for our bees and sharing their incredible honey with you.