WE DID NOT PLAN ON BECOMING BEEKEEPERS. THE BEES HAD OTHER IDEAS.
When a swarm of honey bees landed in an oak tree on our property, it changed the direction of our lives. That was 2011. By the next spring, we were in class. By summer, we had our first two hives. We have not looked back since.
47 YEARS OF MARRIAGE. ONE SHARED DREAM.
Russell and Lisa met right after high school. He was 19, she was 18. They grew up together — raising kids, gutting and remodeling three houses, building their dream home, and learning how to be partners in every sense of the word.
Russell grew up with country roots. His mom came from Meridian, Texas, one of eight siblings raised by a widowed grandmother who supported the family by sharecropping and cooking for the local school. His Uncle Travis taught the kids to hunt, fish, and live off the land. That upbringing shaped everything Russell would later bring to the farm.
Lisa was the city girl. Russell had to teach her how to live in the country. But once they found their land and started keeping bees, they discovered they were made for this life — working side by side, dividing and conquering when they had to, and building something bigger than either of them could have built alone.
THE CROOKED CREEK STORY IN NUMBERS
A few numbers that tell our story better than words ever could.
WORKING TOGETHER, EVERY SINGLE DAY
Monday through Friday, we work our corporate jobs. But when the workday ends — especially during the long summer days — we head straight into the bee yard. There are always hives to inspect, queens to check on, colonies to split, and frames to pull.
We do everything together. We maintain hives, feed bees, medicate when needed, and move colonies at night when the bees are settled in. When market season hits, we work them together whenever we can — but we have learned that sometimes we need to divide and conquer to cover all the bases.
There is no clear division of labor. We both do it all. That is how it has been for 47 years and we would not have it any other way.
THE BEES COME FIRST. EVERYTHING ELSE FOLLOWS.
Our mission is straightforward: save the bees. Our philosophy is just as simple: keep it natural.
We define success by the continual growth of our apiary with minimal winter losses, increased sales across every line of our business, and growing name recognition in both beekeeping and honey production. But the bees always come first.
Without honey bees and other pollinators, the world's food supply would be drastically reduced. They are essential to life. They are amazing creatures. And honestly — being entrusted with their care has made us better people.
WHEN WE ARE NOT WITH THE BEES
Our spare time belongs to family. We spend it attending our grandkids' school events, sports games, and church activities. We host all-family dinners as often as we can because we believe close family relationships do not happen by accident — you have to invest in them.
When we do get a break from family and bees, we love to travel, garden, hike, and ski. But most of the time, we are happiest just hanging out together on the land we worked so hard to find — the good soil, the woods, the water, and the bees.
WE WOULD LOVE TO MEET YOU.
Stop by one of our markets, reach out with a question, or just say hello. We never get tired of talking about bees — and we always have honey to share.
FIND US AT A MARKET
KEEP UP WITH THE FARM
Market schedules, harvest updates, beekeeping tips, and the occasional story from the bee yard. We send emails only when we have something worth sharing.