We all deserve a bit of sweetness in our lives, and one local family is helping make that happen.
Jason and Natasha Roebig’s Jimboomba beekeeping empire began as an attempt to ease eczema symptoms for their daughter.
Today, the ‘Adopt a Hive’ business owners manage over 450 beehives across south-east Queensland.
“In 2012, our daughter was born with eczema, and we were using steroid creams on her skin, but it was having adverse effects,” Ms Roebig said. “Her skin was getting thin and cracking, her hair was falling out. A naturopath suggested that we use raw honey on her skin, so we tried it.”
The pair, who had purchased two hives from a local, developed a method of hardening the raw honey, which was effective in soothing their daughter’s eczema symptoms, into a balm with beeswax, body butters, and essential oils that wouldn’t be so sticky.
They produced more balm than they could use, and started selling excess quantities to friends, family, and at farmers markets.
“Two hives turned into eight hives, to where were are now which is about 450 hives throughout South East Queensland,” Mr Roebig said.
“But the business also expanded from just being honey to now being an education platform, as well as raw honey, cream honey, and body products.”
On top of the 450 hives, home to colonies of European honey bees, the Roebigs also manage and harvest 100 Australian native bee hives. In peak spring and summer months, they harvest honey from the hives every two weeks.
“Primarily, it’s just Natasha and I, but we do have a couple of seasonal workers who come and work for us, a network of what we call semi-retired beekeepers who like to remain active, and we basically employ them to become just a hand when we need them,” Mr Roebig said.
In 2022, the Roebigs resumed the Adopt a Hive business from Paula West, who originally set up the project to combat the issues facing bee populations and ecosystems at large.
Through educational courses delivered to individuals or groups, the Roebigs teach the community about the life cycle of bees, beekeeping essentials like how to manage hives, harvest honey, and how to create an environment where bees can thrive in your backyard.
“We always suggest that you go to the nursery and you pick a flower or a plant that’s flowering, and you plant that in your garden,” Ms Roebig said.
“By doing that, it provides a food source for the bees to feed from throughout the entire year.
“If people would like to protect the bees but don’t want to keep a beehive in their backyard, we provide them with ways or solutions that they can support the bees.”
Eagleby-based family business Golden Goodness began in 2022 as a passion project during one of many Covid-19 lockdowns.
Owner, Sushama Sananta, said building beekeeping skills and knowledge is an ongoing process for the business, who manage 40 hives across South East Queensland.
Hives in different locations mean slightly different honey is produced by each hive and produces a custom honey, native to the area.
Ms Sananta said her customers have experienced hayfever relief from her products, which act as a natural antihistamine. Particularly if they use honey products harvested close to the location where they experienced hay-fever flair-ups.
“Our goal is just to help people. That’s why we operate the way we do,” she said.
Community support has allowed the business to establish itself as a local business and grow from strength to strength.
“When we started, our business was our home for a year,” Ms Sananta said.
“People in the community spread the word about our business for us, especially people in Eagleby and the surrounding areas.
“We could not have done this without the community’s support, which is fabulous.”
