WANE CHURUBUSCO, IN Though they have been in business for three years, Bee Great Marketplace offers much more than just a physical location.
For ten years, David Mullins, the proprietor of Bee Great, has kept bees as a pastime. He made the decision to make that pastime his career five years ago.
Mullins stated, “My wife and I decided this was the right time for us to start a business.” “I had begun vending our honey at farmers’ markets and similar events.”
Mullins has changed the course of his business throughout the last 12 months. Bee Great not only makes honey locally, but it also provides instruction on beekeeping and honey production.
Mullins stated, “My wife is a principal, and I was a professor.” “So, we’re kind of born teachers.”
About 70 hives spread across several locations in northeast Indiana are the source of all the honey produced by Bee Great. Bee Great provides a service wherein you can maintain hives on your property but they handle all aspects of beekeeping, perfect for individuals who might not be prepared to learn how to take care of bees themselves.
A Bee Great client named Andy Katz stated, “I have no experience with beekeeping and I don’t have time to take up another hobby.” But we found that to be significant. Thus, we identified David as the person with the necessary competence.
Even if Katz doesn’t participate in any practical beekeeping, he nevertheless gains knowledge from the experience.
Katz declared, “I have to remove the caps from my honeycomb.” “They need to be placed in the extractor.” And it’s exciting since I got a good portion of my own honey when it was filtered and bottled.
Bee Great now provides beekeeping classes for both beginners and intermediate beekeepers. On Saturday, Jason Ford and Karla Alexander both went back to their intermediate class.
“YouTube has a ton of videos,” stated Ford. However, learning in person is always preferable. Furthermore, because of the differences in our climate, I believe you should learn from someone who lives in your state. It won’t be the same if you’re learning from someone in California.
Alexander says that learning about the habits and flight patterns of bees has been fascinating.
Alexander stated that it would be beneficial to have a person who is ready to come to the place, not only to take care of the bees but also to let you dress in protective gear, observe him working with the hives, and provide additional instruction so you can begin to grasp the full scope of the operation. “I’m not aware of any other location doing that.”
The Fort Wayne municipal Council passed an ordinance allowing beekeepers to have additional hives within the municipal limits in July of 2023, acknowledging the value of bees and their impact on the environment.
Mullins stated, “This year, the National Honey Board has adopted the slogan ‘Honey saves hives.'” And they couldn’t be more correct. We just cannot accomplish this if people do not purchase the local honey.
Mullins asserts that purchasing locally produced honey accomplishes more than just enabling Bee Great to stay in business. According to him, eating honey that is grown nearby helps lessen allergic symptoms.
It’s the particles you want, Mullins said. “Beeswax is what you want.” It’s the pollen that you desire. It’s the propolis that you desire. Additionally, you want the enzymes that are damaged by heating to be present.
Mullins is enthusiastic about Bee Great’s future and just wants to expand on the current operations.
Mullins declared, “We’re not trying to be a massive packer.” “We lack the necessary facilities. That is not what we wish to do. I don’t want to disappear constantly. This company is run by a family.