Paula and Jim Coss, owners of The Honey and Bee Connection, currently produce honey, raise bees, and sell bees and beekeeping equipment in hopes to get locals started raising their own bees. Jim Coss said honeybees don’t cross-pollinate, which is extremely beneficial to produce and farms.
“So, the bees will pick that one source and will go after that one source exclusively. That’s why they’re such great pollinators for like, the almonds out in California and when you got farms with blueberries or apples or whatever they’ve got. They go after that one source, so they do a better job pollinating your gardens when they bloom,” said Coss.
Additionally, raising bees locally and harvesting their honey has many medicinal benefits. Coss said people who consume local honey may see improvements in their seasonal allergies, digestive system, and could even help those with arthritis.
Coss said the goal of his business is to educate and teach others the importance of beekeeping and producing honey.
“Let’s see a lot more people with a couple hives of bees in their backyard. I mean, honey is a product that once it’s sealed, once it’s harvested, it never goes bad. They have pulled honey out of Egyptian tombs, and it was as good as the day they put it in there,” said Coss
People can attend the Beekeeper’s Association monthly meetings at the MSU Agriculture farm, where they can receive education regarding how to start beekeeping, what they will need, and where they can find these resources. This group meets on the first Wednesday of every month except for July when they will meet on the second Wednesday.