Today we’d like to introduce you to John Wright. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Bee Wild grew out of a longing of its founder, John Wright, to bring a piece of his childhood to an urban audience. John grew up in the spectacular beauty of the North Georgia mountains. Soon after high school, John was drawn to the bright lights of Atlanta, a city which, luckily for John, retains its deep Southern heritage. He soon became a man equally comfortable in two worlds: the slow-paced, nature-rich land of the mountains and the lively, culture-rich environment of Atlanta.
One of John’s passions is real food, and he has become somewhat of an encyclopedia on the subject). John’s father is a dedicated, enthusiastic beekeeper. One day it occurred to John that he could take the great passions of his and his father’s lives, raw, wild North Georgia honey, and bring it out of the mountains to a wider audience.
In 2018 John followed his heart and moved to the West Coast, San Diego to be with his soulmate and begin a new & bi-coastal chapter of his life. John visits the honeybee farm in Georgia for one week every month and this more focused time soon led to a whole new chapter for Bee Wild launching a brand new line of small-batch infused honeys. Not only has this given Bee Wild a more national audience by attracting a broader customer base, it has allowed for the co-creation of a more cooperative business model creating more roles and work hours for team members. This has given team members more voice in the creation of new infused honeys.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our biggest struggle is the colony collapse disorder which has taken out as much as 70% of our honeybee colonies in a single season over the past ten years. Colony collapse disorder is, for us primarily caused by the Varroa Destructor Mite which can quickly cause colonies of honeybees to collapse/die. The good news is that in the past few years, we have seen a slow yet consistent improvement in this area. We are very grateful for this turning of the tides!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bee Wild?
Bee Wild is a 3-generation family-owned and operated honeybee farm in Gainesville, Georgia. We specialize in doing small seasonal batches of our wild-crafted varietal honeys such as “Wildflower” and “Sourwood” as well as our new Wild Side line of hand-crafted infused honeys. We practice sustainable beekeeping and are proud members of 1% For The Planet. With that, we donate 1% of our annual revenue to organizations actively working to save the honeybee population. You can find all of our products and honeylicious recipes on our website at https://beewild.buzz/.
We have always been something more than a third-generation raw honey company. Our team members have broad and deep personal experience in alternative wellness, entrepreneurship, and personal coaching. So, when our customers’ needs exceeded the solutions that only providing raw honey gave them, we decided to expand our offerings.
Bee Wild isn’t just a cute name, we focus on the why wild honey is better for you than farmed or “tame” honey lol. Here’s what we offer:
High-quality raw, wild-crafted honey that the Wright family has gathered for over 50 years. In fact, our Sourwood Honey won the honey category at the 2017 Good Food Awards, recognized for both the honey’s taste and our company’s green practices.
New “Wild Side” honey infusions – our first is “Devil’s Advocate,” a smoky sweet treat infused with a Ghost Peppers (don’t worry, it’s not TOO hot!). It is awesome drizzled on meats and makes the BEST BBQ Sauce.
A honey body product line that takes advantage of the healing and moisturizing properties of honey.
A focus on the expansive, wild, primal qualities of Nature that can help us all thrive through times of steep change.
Regular social media posts to focus on holistic wellness, environmental activism, easy change, urban and small organic gardening, real food resources, and sustainable technology.
Helping #savethebees by donating 1% of our sales to One Percent for the Planet, the brainchild of the founders of Patagonia and Blue Ribbon Flies. This organization believes businesses can be the engines of positive environmental change and proves this by enrolling businesses to support causes that make a difference to the environment.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
We have certainly benefitted from a lot of luck although I have it framed as more of a blessing, I try my best to humbly receive lol. We have been the most lucky and blessed in the area of attracting amazing team members. I have been so honored to work with some amazing souls that are so genuine, unique and a joy to work and collaborate with. We have also been lucky in attracting a very consistent and loyal customer base. The best part is we have the fun, joy, and pleasure of connecting with them in person at our local farmer’s markets.
Pricing:
- Raw Wildflower Honey 12oz – $12.99
- Raw Sourwood Honey 12oz – $15.99
- Raw Tupelo Honey 12oz – $18.99
- Lavender Infused Honey 12oz – $14.99
- Devil’s Advocate – Ghost Pepper Infused Honey 12oz – $14.99
Contact Info:
- Email: john@beewild.buzz
- Website: https://beewild.buzz/
- Instagram: @beewildbuzz
- Facebook: beewildbuzz
- Twitter: beewildbuzz
- Youtube: beewildbuzz
Image Credits
Bee Wild
