Our Story
From a Swarm in a Willow Tree
How catching a swarm at thirteen turned a farm-kid daydream into thousands of hives across the Pacific Northwest.
From the Founder
I've Wanted to Be a Farmer Since I Could Walk
Ever since I can remember, I've dreamed of being a farmer. When I was 10, I started a small fund with my grandma to raise money for a chicken farm. I showed chickens and sheep in 4-H, built greenhouses, and grew nursery plants for resale. I didn't know yet that the call would come from a hive in a willow tree. But it did, the summer I turned 13.
Honeybee pollination is essential to our lives, and I'm fortunate I get to be part of it while doing what I love.
2006
The First Swarm
Growing up, there was a beehive in the hollow of an old willow tree in our yard. The summer I was 13, it decided to swarm. I got the wild idea I was going to catch it no matter the cost. Some rubber gloves, a hoodie, and a piece of cheesecloth made up my first 'bee suit.' I got the job done. My first swarm.
2008
Learning the Craft
I started reading every book and article on beekeeping I could find, and joined the local bee club for hands-on time alongside experienced keepers. The hobby kept growing. More swarm catches, more splits, and the hives quietly multiplied.
2011
Forty Hives by Graduation
By the time I graduated high school, I had 40 hives. The idea of pursuing beekeeping as a career was exciting, but I knew I had a lot to learn about business first.
2015
Oregon State University
I spent four years at OSU earning my bachelor's degree in business. Working at the honeybee research lab on campus was a privilege, and it confirmed what I'd already suspected: this was my calling, not just my hobby.
2016
500 Hives and Counting
By the time I graduated OSU, the operation had grown to 500 hives and I was fully committed to expanding the bee business. Prescott Honey Farms LLC was officially under way.
2020
Expanding Pollination
Our hives began traveling farther to pollinate crops across the Pacific Northwest. Pollination work became a steady rhythm alongside the honey side of the business.
Today
Thousands of Hives
Prescott Honey Farms now manages several thousand beehives. We sell honey wholesale and retail and pollinate crops across the Northwest. The kid who chased a swarm in a willow tree still gets to walk among the bees every day.
