Fridays on the Farm: Making a Difference with Honeybees

This Friday meet Kirstin Bailey of Fox Run Farms, a diversified family operation in Brainard, Nebraska. Kirstin and her family transformed the farm in the early 2000s, planting the beginnings of their vineyard and adding specialty crops soon after. As the farm began to grow, Kirstin discovered new opportunities for growth and sustainability with honeybees, showing that busy bees can make a big difference. 

Finding a Solution 

Walking around Kirstin’s family farm, it is easy to see the history of Fox Run Farms. Sheds, large and small barns, and a vineyard showcase the generations that have helped it become what it is today. 

“We have 76 acres and out of that we have a pasture and some conventional farmland we rent out,” said Kirstin. “Then we actually farm around five acres of specialty crops, as well as an orchard and a vineyard.” 

Kirstin and her family searched for ways to improve the overall productivity of their fruits and vegetables. What would be the solution? Honeybees. While Kirstin’s family started by allowing a beekeeper to tend bees on their property, they quickly took an interest in beekeeping themselves. 

“My brother and I took classes together. He quickly found out that he was not into bees, but I found out that I loved them, so I continued keeping bees,” said Kirstin. 

Growth and Recovery

In 2018, Kirstin discovered microloan programs through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and applied to help expand beekeeping on her farm. Microloans offer more flexible access to credit and serve as a loan option for smaller farming operations. The microloan gave her the opportunity to grow from four hives to 12, as well as purchase beekeeping suits and equipment she needed to be successful. 

Harsh Nebraska winters can take a toll on the overwintering of bees, and Kirstin has used the natural disaster assistance available through FSA’s Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program to assist with the recovery of expenses associated with winter losses.

“Over the years with the losses and how hard winter has been, we’ve scaled back down to just keeping bees on our property,” Kirsten said. “At one point I was keeping them in four different locations.” 

The results of keeping bees on her farm are abundantly clear. 

“They have increased the production of our specialty crops and our orchard by four-fold,” she said. “It was so amazing when we brought them on the farm. We saw a huge difference in the quality of produce, the uniformity of it and the quantity. We will always have bees on the farm for that reason, because we want that direct pollination by having them here.”

Ensuring Success for the Future

Beyond direct pollination, the bees have opened another revenue stream for the farm, allowing Kirstin and her family to sell the honey wholesale, while her mom uses the beeswax to make candles.

Throughout the fall months, they have a variety of events around the farm, including U-pick apples at their orchard and grapes from their vineyard. 

Kirstin notes the viability of her beekeeping business is due in part to the assistance she’s received from FSA over the years and encourages others to reach out when they need it. 

“Something I like to stress is how important communication is,” Kirstin said. “If you have questions, don’t be afraid to call up your FSA office and ask them.”

More information

Visit local farms, ranches, forests, and resource areas through our Fridays on the Farm stories. Meet farmers, producers and landowners who are working to improve their operations with USDA programs.

USDA offers a variety of risk management, disaster assistance, loan, and conservation programs to help producers weather ups and downs in the market and recover from natural disasters as well as invest in improvements to their operations. Learn about additional programs.

For more information about USDA programs and services, contact your local USDA service center.

Sydney Erickson worked as an intern with FSA in Nebraska. For more information about this story, contact Bobbie Kriz-Wickham, state public affairs and outreach coordinator.