Former Blue Hill FFA member turns beekeeping SAE into college business

A former Blue Hill FFA member has turned her FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) into a thriving business that followed her to college.

Libby Macklin, now a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, started Libby’s Beekeeping in high school.

For her SAE, Libby said she wanted to pursue something unique and chose beekeeping—a decision that surprised many.

She received a grant from the Nebraska FFA Foundation to help cover costs for essential equipment, which she says was invaluable to her early success.

Starting in a field she knew little about required a leap of faith, but she found support through resources like the Nebraska Beekeepers Association’s youth scholar program. Through this program, she received everything she needed to get started, from bees to boxes to a mentor.

“They weren’t just throwing me all these materials in this package of bees,” she said. “They were helping me through every step of the way.”

Macklin said her mentor has since become a close family friend and remains a key part of her beekeeping network.

Now, as a college student, Macklin manages to balance her business with her studies, though she acknowledges her schedule is different from most college students.

“I was back for a weekend in September harvesting honey. I harvested nine gallons of honey in two days,” she said, reflecting on fall break.

Macklin’s interest and dedication to beekeeping has led her to become involved with the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program and the UNL Bee Lab, where she continues to learn and refine her skills.