Natalie Reed is a member of the CORE Butte FFA Chapter in Chico, Calif. She has recently been hard at work making beeswax candles for her new Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE), a business named Bee-yond Agricultural Candles.
Beeswax is an agricultural product made from leftover bee cappings, which are thin layers of wax that build up in a beehive (see below). Bee cappings are often thrown out when beekeepers produce honey, but they’re still a viable product that inspired Reed to start making beeswax candles.
The process of making candles includes the following steps:
1. Assembling the molds.
2. Melting the beeswax until it becomes a liquid.
3. Mixing in a scented essential oil and candle coloring (optional).
4. Pouring the beeswax into the molds.
5. Waiting for the beeswax to dry.
6. Taking the candles out of the mold.
Depending on the size of the candles, this process takes about five hours from start to finish. Since it involves hot surfaces and melted wax, safety procedures are important to ensure no structures get damaged. Some safety precautions Reed uses include always making candles outdoors, having a fire extinguisher available at all times, ensuring no vegetation is nearby, and removing all flammable materials.
One of Reed’s candles called Ocean’s Beauty.
Reed has more than 30 candle designs available, ranging from sunflowers to animals.
“Bee-yond Agricultural Candles was a way for me to ignite my creativity and passion for agriculture in a hands-on way,” she says. “I have gained valuable experience with agribusiness and sales, and it has truly been such an incredible experience.”
Beeswax candles made by Reed.
