Beekeeping the niche Martin needed
Beekeeping the niche Martin needed
“If we didn’t have honey bees to pollinate fruit and vegetables, we wouldn’t have the abundance of food we have today. That’s why I chose to become a beekeeper to do my part in preserving and growing the bee population”, said Clinton Martin, a beekeeper in Wythe County.
Martin did not grow up with agriculture experience. Raised in Dublin, Va., he was involved in Boy Scouts of America reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and later, studied welding. It wasn’t until he married his wife, Sarah, in 2018 that he got hands-on experience working on a farm. The couple has a small sheep farm, Wild Dot Show Sheep, where they raise market show lambs. Martin enjoys working on the farm, but said livestock is his wife’s passion.
“I like animals, but I wanted something of my own,” said Clinton Martin. “It wasn’t until a conversation with Sarah’s grandfather, Jim Cook, a few years ago that I knew exactly what I wanted to do”.
Cook, having previous beekeeping experience, overheard Martin’s desire to have his own niche, which caused him to suggest beekeeping. Cook told Martin the importance that bees play in agriculture. He discussed present day challenges to bee survival such as chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides deposited in the air and on crops. Being pollinators, he imparted the key role they play in food production and security.
Marktin began raising bees in 2022 starting with Italian bees, which he purchased from Mountain Sweet Honey in Georgia.
“The first year went really well with the bees producing plenty of wax and honey,” he said. “That first year taught me their habits and how they use those to convey information. For example, bees sit in front of the hive and move their wings rapidly to cool down the hive. It taught me how to read them based on their behavior.”
Clinton added another hive to his operation in 2023. Just as things were starting to take off, 2024 put a wrench into his plans.
Southwest Virginia suffered a major drought in the summer of 2024 causing him to lose both hives.
“A drought is hard on a bee colony because the lack of water prevents the flowers from blooming, leaving the bees with no food or pollen to gather,” he said. “It was a tough year”.
Even with the setback, Clinton said he didn’t lose sight of the future. This year, he purchased a brand new hive containing Carniolan bees to rebuild his operation. Martin picked Carniolan bees since they are known for gathering nectar at a higher rate than other bees. In addition, they normally produce more honey than the Italian bees he had previously. He has high hopes for this year’s hive.
With the growing interest in local honey, Martin hopes to be a competitor again in the market, being able to sell across his Southwest Virginia area. Before the drought, Martin sold his honey locally in pint jars at the farm stand set up at their home and through delivery.
The demand was always greater than his supply, he said, which was why he was excited about his growing operation until the recent setback. He has customers already on the waitlist for his first harvest this year
“We have several folks asking for honey, but we have not been able to supply it recently since it takes some time to grow hives and increase honey production,” he said. “Starting back with the new hive and expanding from there will hopefully, put us back in a position where we can supply the community again in the near future.”
Martin did not grow up with agriculture experience. Raised in Dublin, Va., he was involved in Boy Scouts of America reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and later, studied welding. It wasn’t until he married his wife, Sarah, in 2018 that he got hands-on experience working on a farm. The couple has a small sheep farm, Wild Dot Show Sheep, where they raise market show lambs. Martin enjoys working on the farm, but said livestock is his wife’s passion.
“I like animals, but I wanted something of my own,” said Clinton Martin. “It wasn’t until a conversation with Sarah’s grandfather, Jim Cook, a few years ago that I knew exactly what I wanted to do”.
Cook, having previous beekeeping experience, overheard Martin’s desire to have his own niche, which caused him to suggest beekeeping. Cook told Martin the importance that bees play in agriculture. He discussed present day challenges to bee survival such as chemicals, herbicides, and pesticides deposited in the air and on crops. Being pollinators, he imparted the key role they play in food production and security.
Marktin began raising bees in 2022 starting with Italian bees, which he purchased from Mountain Sweet Honey in Georgia.
“The first year went really well with the bees producing plenty of wax and honey,” he said. “That first year taught me their habits and how they use those to convey information. For example, bees sit in front of the hive and move their wings rapidly to cool down the hive. It taught me how to read them based on their behavior.”
Clinton added another hive to his operation in 2023. Just as things were starting to take off, 2024 put a wrench into his plans.
Southwest Virginia suffered a major drought in the summer of 2024 causing him to lose both hives.
“A drought is hard on a bee colony because the lack of water prevents the flowers from blooming, leaving the bees with no food or pollen to gather,” he said. “It was a tough year”.
Even with the setback, Clinton said he didn’t lose sight of the future. This year, he purchased a brand new hive containing Carniolan bees to rebuild his operation. Martin picked Carniolan bees since they are known for gathering nectar at a higher rate than other bees. In addition, they normally produce more honey than the Italian bees he had previously. He has high hopes for this year’s hive.
With the growing interest in local honey, Martin hopes to be a competitor again in the market, being able to sell across his Southwest Virginia area. Before the drought, Martin sold his honey locally in pint jars at the farm stand set up at their home and through delivery.
The demand was always greater than his supply, he said, which was why he was excited about his growing operation until the recent setback. He has customers already on the waitlist for his first harvest this year
“We have several folks asking for honey, but we have not been able to supply it recently since it takes some time to grow hives and increase honey production,” he said. “Starting back with the new hive and expanding from there will hopefully, put us back in a position where we can supply the community again in the near future.”
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