Macy Moore of Plainfield raises bees for her local company Oasis Bee. “Bees are a lot like raising children,” he said. There are great days, challenging moments, and you should always be there for his needs.” He advises anyone interested in starting a hive to look up current bee owners, do extensive research and visit local beekeepers before purchasing bee box equipment.
It was her husband who presented Missy with the idea of beehives in 2012, which initially made her hesitant. He eventually came around to the idea and bought his six original hives. He soon found an abundance of pure, sun-kissed liquid gold. Macy used to be a labor and delivery nurse until she gave birth in 2015. Missy and her husband decided that she would be a full-time mother. He also progressed his adventures to becoming a full-time DATCP certified beekeeper. It has been quite a life changer for her family as Missy spends 20 plus hours a week on her bees, marketing and production business.
Macy did a lot of studying with LB Werks Bees in Almond before becoming a full-time beekeeper. As of 2018, he now has 50 registered WI hives with a 70-80% winter survival rate. He is also a member of the WI Honey Producers to keep abreast of market trends and information.
Massey cited his biggest challenge as varroa mites, which have become a major problem for beekeepers in the state. Without natural oxalic acid spray, the hives will probably go away. Other challenges are the weather and the fact that bees do what bees want to do. Agriculture is on a different level.
An exciting fact about bees is that they can actually recognize faces so her bees are very calm in her presence. Anyone who wants to keep bees needs to understand that you are involved with the hives and not just taking care of their basic needs. The farm animals are eventually sold and shipped out, but the bees stay with you the whole time, even if you rent them out to southern farmers for the winter. This care is all year round.
As part of their production, Macy and her husband use a restored 1930s 30-frame wooden extractor to create a variety of flavored and creamed honeys, candles and lip balms. He ships orders because he doesn’t have a storefront. His product can be found at various locations such as Plainfield Hardware, IGA and Ruby Reds in Wisconsin Rapids and Local Goat in Amherst. He believes local businesses help each other to keep money in the area versus the big box shopping experience.