Aubrey Rider’s honey bees busy at work.
Aubrey Rider, a Missouri FFA member from Odessa, remembers watching her dad sell honey from his beehive. She helped bottle honey and with other small tasks, but she never really got into managing the hives until it was time for her to select her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE). It was only natural for her to gravitate toward beekeeping.
Starting the process of beekeeping and honey production is not an easy task. Rider has learned firsthand that it involves much more than simply collecting honey.
“You begin by checking the hives every week and making sure the colonies are healthy and producing throughout the season,” she says. This weekly routine prevents issues and ensures the bees remain productive and healthy.
As the season progresses and eventually concludes, the focus shifts to the extraction and processing of the honey.
“Once the season is over, you carefully extract the honey from the frames,” Rider says. “Then, you must filter out waste particles using a colander to ensure the honey is pure and smooth. Finally, it’s bottled and ready for sale.”
Rider’s bees create high-quality honey and help pollinate crops, resulting in higher crop yields and helping farmers in many ways across Missouri.
Through this meticulous process, Rider has improved her skills and gained a deep appreciation for the hard work of producing high-quality honey. Her SAE has become more than just a project; it’s now a significant part of her life. She’s excited to keep growing her honey business and can’t wait to see where it takes her.
