Al McNeely, Catamount Honey
Beekeeping Expansion
Grant Award: $6,000
Al is expanding and upgrading his beekeeping operation by adding nucleus hives for sale, obtaining a universal product code (UPC) for his products, and purchasing specialized honey extracting equipment.
Al manages three apiary locations and aims to expand to 100 hives. He improves his bee stock by moving new nucleus hives between locations five miles apart so that host bees will not leave and return to original host hives. Al incorporates Integrated Pest Management techniques as much as possible.
With a UPC code, Al can market to large grocery stores, in addition to his current customers at health food stores, gift shops, craft shows and festivals.
Contact the Local Extension Agent