Bee Buddy Program

Description

If you are a Bee Buddy, expect to receive sweet rewards while you partner with us to save the bees. You have an opportunity to sponsor your own Honey Bee hive and watch it grow – without getting stung! That’s because a beekeeper manages it for you. In return, you receive the equivalent value in honey from the best local honey available and much more. This is “Stinging Edge” technology without the sting. We are part of the Illinois Queen Initiative working hard at developing our own Illinois Hearty Honey Bee. This locally developed honey bee queen and her brood are stronger and more suited for battling the stresses decimating Illinois hives. Your involvement makes it possible for us to produce local bees, so they can flourish in Illinois and surrounding states.

Thousands of scientists and beekeepers around the globe are telling us the bees need help battling stresses that modern society has placed on them. Our solution is simple: create more opportunities for everyone to get involved. A Bee Buddy sponsorship does this, and gives you an inside view to your very own honey bee colony. We’ll manage this colony for you and in return you receive resources from that hive, while gaining unique insights surrounding the social life within a honey bee colony. We’ll post pictures and videos online so you can view and monitor progress. We host a few Bee Buddy outings during the summer, inviting you to visit the bee yard with us, inspect a hive, and watch as honey is extracted. You’ll see many things the general public doesn’t, such as watching your hive mature throughout the summer as they populate it with new brood and, of course, monitor their food stores as they make your honey.

There are two levels of Bee Buddy sponsorship:

BEE BUDDY – Super Sweet: ($230)

WHAT DID YOU PURCHASE?

• Honey Bee Colony – This covers the cost of a colony of honey bees
• Labor costs – Covers 50% of the cost to manage a hive for 1 year
• Helps Fund The Queen Project – Helps fund the save the bees queen rearing project
• We provide a fully assembled bee hive for your colony.

WHAT DOES A SUPER SWEET BEE BUDDY RECEIVE?

• First 20 lbs of honey – The Super Sweet sponsor is guaranteed to receive the first 20 lbs of honey from the hive. Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, and it is possible the hive will produce less than 20 lbs before winter. In that event, we will extend your guarantee to a second year until you receive a total of 20 pounds of honey. The bee farmer like any farmer lives year to year with the weather. You too can experience that same excitement or disappointment as the season progresses.
• Second 20 lbs of honey – The sponsor receives the ability to purchase a second 20 lbs of honey at $10 per pound. All honey sold after the second 20 pounds will be sold at market price.
• Visitation Day – Come see your bees. A scheduled visiting day will be set to see your bees with an opportunity to look through the hive, and maybe even spot a queen.
• Online Updates – Online (website) updates with pictures and videos will accompany each hive throughout the summer.
• Name Your Hive – Of course you get to name the hive, and its queen. We’ll label your chosen hive and queen name on your sponsored hive.
• Honey Harvest-  We’ll let you know when the honey is ready to pick-up. The exact date depends on the Chicago weather and what the bees tell us about the flowers. Some hives will have honey in July, but always by September.

BEE BUDDY – Sweet: ($130)

WHAT DID YOU PURCHASE?

• Honey Bee Colony – This covers half the cost of a colony of honey bees
• Labor costs – Covers 25% of the cost to manage a hive for 1 year
• Helps Fund The Queen Project – Helps fund the save the bees queen rearing project
• We provide a fully assembled bee hive for your colony.

WHAT DOES A SWEET BEE BUDDY RECEIVE?

• First 10 lbs of honey – The Sweet Bee Buddy sponsor is guaranteed the first 10 pounds of honey from the hive. Unfortunately, we can’t control the weather, and it is possible the hive will produce less than 10 pounds before winter. In that event, we will extend to a second year your guarantee until you receive a total of 10 pounds of honey from the hive. The bee farmer like any farmer lives year to year with the weather. You too can experience that same excitement or disappointment as the season progresses.
• Second 10 lbs of honey – The Sweet Bee Buddy sponsor receives the ability to purchase the second 10 pounds of honey at $10 per pound. All honey sold after the second 10 pounds will be sold at market price.
• Visitation Day – Come see your bees. A scheduled visiting day will be set to see your bees with an opportunity to look through the hive, and maybe even spot a queen.
• Online Updates – Online (website) updates with pictures and videos will accompany each hive throughout the summer.
• Honey Harvest-  We’ll let you know when the honey is ready to pick-up. The exact date depends on the Chicago weather and what the bees tell us about the flowers. Some hives will have honey in July but always by September.

Check out some pictures from our bee yard!

2021 Bee Buddy Gallery