CONRAD HIVE AND HONEY is a family owned and operated full service beekeeping supply business in central Ohio with over 30 years experience caring for honey bees.
It all started with Barry as a teen working his grandparents London, Ohio farm where the Dunhams of Deer Creek Honey Farm kept some of their bees. This was Barry’s first experience with honey bees.
When Barry moved from Columbus to the Canal Winchester farm, one of the first things he did was plant an orchard. Then of course he needed bees for pollination – and he became a beekeeper.
Both of our mothers and Barry’s grandmother lent helping hands at canning, freezing and pressing (cider), the fruits of our honey bees labor.
We soon found the bees so interesting and unique that before long they were our full time endeavor. We began selling our honey from a small stand at the house and a couple farm markets. About 15 years ago we bought out “Brad’s Hive and Honey” and began building hives for re-sale. We kept adding to what we offer and now are a full service company.
Over the years each of our four children gave a hand at some part of the business. They have blessed us with eight more workers in the form of grandchildren. They have spent summer vacations here working to help us and to earn spending money, save for college, buy gas etc Of the eight one is truly our girl Friday , right hand man and a beekeeper in her own right – many of you know Tess.
Barry and I became heavily involved with the Lithopolis Honeyfest and on Honeyfest weekend we could not manage without our kids, grandkids, and friends of grandkids, as many as eight of us at a time working our booth.
Barry and I now have two great-grandchildren and though they haven’t worked here yet they are beginning beekeepers in North Carolina with there mom and dad who became beekeepers while in college. We know its just a matter of time before they are up here for a summer working!
If you haven’t been counting, I’ll tell you that is six generations of family influence and help. It has kept us close to family, close to home doing something we love.
Come visit our shop and talk some bees with us!!
