At Stroope Honey Farms, Stroope and his two children, Lauren and O.T., operate a beekeeping and honey-bottling facility that produces between 500,000 and 1 million pounds of honey annually, a family tradition that began with Stroope’s grandfather and his son’s namesake, O.T.
There can be 40,000 to 80,000 bees per hive, said Stroope, who has been beekeeping since age 10. Given that the farm operates 8,000 hives, it’s safe to say that business is as busy as the bees themselves.
The full story
No stranger to advocacy, Stroope’s former roles as president of the Texas Beekeeper’s Association and the American Honey Producers Association have taken him to Washington, D.C., where he’s testified before policymakers.
“According to the United States Department of Agriculture, honeybees is the most labor-intensive agricultural crop produced,” Stroope said.
One more thing
In addition to wholesaling the farm’s signature honeys, such as Texas Cotton Blossom and Wildflower, to Texas retailers, Stroope also sells surplus beeswax to candlemakers.
Shoppers can buy the farm’s honey in grocery stores, such as H-E-B, Whole Foods, Phoenicia and Central Market, across Texas.
