Comment
Print
For Susan Brand of Mama B's, beekeeping is not a hobby or a business - it is a legacy and purely a love for nature and bees. It is also likely a way to stay close to her ancestors and honor her family. Susan is a 4th generation beekeeper, having learned the patient skills from her father at a young age. The wisdom has been passed down orally and through practice from her great-grandfather, at least as far as she can tell. Her father immigrated from Poland when he was 25 years old, but records beyond her great-grandfather are scant. To hear her speak of her father is like sipping a loving cup of nostalgia as she describes him regularly bartering the honey for items and employing folk remedies to relieve arthritis. She even says that her favorite way to eat honey is right off the honeycomb because it brings back childhood memories.
Right now there are nine hives and about 500,000 honeybees With the assistance of her husband, Tony, they harvest anywhere from 200lbs to 440lbs (an exceptionally good season) of honey each year. The amount of honey harvested is 100% dependent on the weather, amount of pollen sources, and pest disturbances. Mama B's hives were recently attacked by a bear! "If you want to be a beekeeper, you've got to think like a farmer," Susan says, meaning one must be mindful of the seasons and Mother Nature's fickleness. But her success certainly comes from her father's wise words: manage the bees simply with minimal disturbance. And indeed she does just that. The bees and Mama B's live in tandem through the seasonal changes. When the bees are actively foraging and making honey, Susan and Tony are busy tending to the hives and harvesting and bottling the North Carolina certified honey. In winter, she leaves the bees to themselves, barely interrupting their down time except on a rare occasion when the hives must be covered to protect from icy conditions.
For first-time beekeepers, she advises that it isn't for the faint of heart! First, the hardware is expensive, and losing bees is costly and heartbreaking when one puts so much time and energy into tending to them. Commercial beekeepers in the U.S. lost 60% (1.6 million colonies) of their bee population in 2024-2025, which is the largest loss in recorded history. Second, the busiest part of the season is also the hottest part of the year. The protective gear can be super hot to wear potentially causing heatstroke for some people. But Susan says it's worth it for the honey and therapeutic peace it gives her. For eager beginners, she recommends starting with two hives, so that if one is lost another remains to help reestablish and expand the hives.
Susan continues her family's beekeeping legacy by bestowing the wisdom down to her son and grandchildren as well as the community work she does in Rutherford and McDowell Counties. She is the Garden Educator at the Kid Senses Museum, a Rutherford County Master Gardener, and a member of the Beekeepers Associations for Rutherford County, McDowell County, and North Carolina. Sharing the awe of beekeeping, especially with children, is her favorite part of teaching. Though she has been keeping bees for most of her life, Susan loves that it continues to teach her about nature and life in general. Bee life is fascinating, after all, with their focus totally centered on keeping their colony alive. Each has a specific job that changes with their maturing, whether it's attending to the queen, feeding the developing larvae, foraging for pollen, or cleaning and protecting the hive. They work cooperatively to keep the hive in efficient working order for the good of everyone. Susan's son asks, "why can't we be more like the bees?"
Honey-lovers can find Mama B's honey through their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/100086189367052/about/), the Community Farm Stop of Rutherford County (https://rutherfordcoop.com), and the CSA at Her Heartbeat Farm in McDowell County (https://www.facebook.com/HerHeartbeatFarm/).
