QUICK 5: Michael Landry

1. What is your current business?

I own and operate M3 Bee Farm LLC in Owasso. I also have a residence in Tahlequah and my hives are between the two locations. We specialize in bees, honey, and pollination. We offer raw unfiltered honey, creamed honey, honeycomb, bee pollen, and beeswax products.

2. What nonprofits do you support and why did you get into beekeeping?

This is a veteran-owned, veteran-supporting operation, and a portion of all honey sales goes to “Coffee Bunker” and “Hives for Heroes,” nonprofit organizations that support local veterans. I was not looking to get into the honeybee business, but sometimes in life, you find something that ignites excitement – an enthusiasm that takes on a life of its own. This beekeeping hobby has turned into a passion to save bees. The past few years have been a whirlwind of long days and nights, bee stings, and heavy lifting, but that’s beekeeping. The thought of becoming a beekeeper came to me when I was looking for a hobby to keep me active after retirement. A co-worker who was a beekeeper started a conversation that turned me onto taking a beginner beekeeping class.

3. How many bee hives do you work with?

I manage close to 150 hives. I am not sure how the desire to get two honeybee colonies in 2012 to start a hobby for my retirement turned into a full-scale operation.

4. Do you share your knowledge of bees and their importance to the environment with others?

I frequently teach the “Beginning Beekeepers Class” at Northeastern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association and the Indian Capital Technology Center in Tahlequah and Muskogee. Not only do I sell honey, but I raise healthy bees, rescue bees, and pollinate local crops.

5. What organizations do you belong to and how do they support your mission with bees?

I am a member of Northeastern Oklahoma Beekeepers Association, a group of local beekeepers that promotes beekeeping to the public and supports fellow beekeepers around our region; the Oklahoma State Beekeepers Association; and several other bee clubs and organizations. The educational mission of NEOBA is giving presentations to schools and civic groups, hosting beekeeper classes, and organizing our annual beekeeping conference called the “Big Bee Buzz.”