Mexia woman finds sobriety in beekeeping; aiming to expand her farm and share craft with schools

MEXIA, Texas (KWTX) - A Mexia woman found her sobriety in beekeeping, starting her own bee farm and sharing her craft and honey with Central Texans.

Melinda Richardson Sheffield found her passion for beekeeping when she was on her journey to sobriety.

“I was an alcoholic for 24 years, and God delivered me from it here eight years ago, and he replaced it with a passion for bees,” she said. “It just happened just like that.”

She said she learned the craft from her mentor, and, with a lot of learning, she started her own bee farm, Richardson Bee Farms.

“It was a lot of hard work,” she said. “It’s disheartening, but that’s the biggest thing with beekeeping. You’re going to make mistakes, and you’re going to fail at some things, but then you keep doing it and learn from them.”

She grew her farm from caring for one hive to 500. Her dedication and love to beekeeping stems from the insect’s sound and nature.

“Just working with the bees, they say it reverses disease, PTSD, and I believe it because I can go in a trance and just work hives all day long, and I lose track of time,” Sheffield said. “I love it.”

At her farm in Mexia, she does an Ag Lease program that allows her to place hives on people’s property.

“I manage them myself, and property owners get the ag exemptions,” she said. “Then, I always keep extra suits on my truck, too, for my clients that want to learn and give them honey off their own property. Then, I lease them out for pollination, and I do bee removals.”

She said she also sold “nucs,” small honey bee colonies, and sells her honey at local stores.

She said she has sent her bees to Austin and California for honey and almond production.

Sheffield added that a lot of work and science goes into beekeeping; including making queens.

“I can make as many queens as I want from them,” she said. “I will find my favorite hives. and I will graft the eggs. Then, I put in a builder hive that I make ‘queenless’ with lots of nurse bees, like from six hives...”

This is a glimpse of the science that students at Mexia ISD’s Developmental Campus will be learning in their new bee course.

Director of Special Education, Jozette Jenkins, said students with developmental delays do not have the opportunities to learn welding or other career courses for Career and Technical Education, so she wanted to start a program where students could learn career skills and have hands-on experiences.

She said the course is going to teach students the history of beekeeping, the honey processing and small business, entrepreneurial skills.

“It gives not only the historical genetic background, but, then, we spring forward to honey processing and how it could be a small It gives that entrepreneurial aspect as well. It covers all aspects, really.”

Students will get to wear beekeeper suits and work directly with the bees. Jenkins said the incoming group of students have already named their business--D.C. Hunny--after the “Developmental” “Campus” and ‘Winnie the Pooh’s’ ‘Hunny’ pot.

Richardson Bee Farms gave the course some hives to start with, and Sheffield will help guide teachers. Sheffield hopes this is an inspiring and soothing course for the students.

Sheffield also gave hives to Wortham ISD to start their program last school year.

She said she wants to work more with her community, hoping to expand her farm to include tours for visitors and to hire more employees to care for more bees.

“It’s exciting,” she said. “I love it. Then, some days, when I’m working, I’ll just be hot and sweaty and hurting and almost crying. Then, I just thank God out loud. I’m so thankful I have something I love so much. There’s just no telling what’s in store.”

To follow Sheffield’s journey, click here.

Sheffield is currently serving six counties in Central Texas. The following is a brief list of the local store she sells at.

• Mexia
  • Bi-Stone Building Supply
  • Clancy’s Furniture
  • Farris Family Firearms
• Groesbeck
  • S&S Ag Center
• Teague
  • Withrow Furniture

Copyright 2024 KWTX. All rights reserved.