About this episode
It's harvest season—and for many beekeepers, that means it's time to sell honey! In this week's episode, Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Masterman dig into the rewarding (and sometimes sticky) process of marketing and selling your honey crop. From fall festivals to farm stands, Becky shares her experiences at local events, state fairs, and new retail partnerships, including the launch of her own MastermanApiaries.com website. Jeff talks about scaling Olympia Honey Company and how local markets, branding, and customer relationships have helped him create a sustainable beekeeping business. Together, they explore the fun, challenges, and lessons learned from turning raw honey into a community connection. The discussion also covers labeling requirements, state regulations, setting retail and wholesale prices, and leveraging AI tools to design labels, calculate pricing, and even develop marketing materials. Becky reveals how ChatGPT helped her brainstorm creative honey names and brand ideas, while Jeff explains how AI-generated mockups led to the final design for Olympia Honey's logo. Listeners will pick up practical advice for pricing honey fairly, building repeat customers, and turning a seasonal product into a sustainable business—while avoiding the pitfalls of "free honey" and other online hiccups. Whether you sell a few jars or a few hundred, this episode will inspire you to embrace the business of bees with confidence and creativity. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org The National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC ______________ Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers . See for yourself at www.betterbee.com This episode is brought to you by Global Patties ! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! Thanks to Bee Smart Designs as a sponsor of this podcast! Bee Smart Designs is the creator of innovative, modular and interchangeable hive systems made in the USA using recycled and American sourced materials. Bee Smart Designs - Simply better beekeeping for the modern beekeeper. Give your bees a boost with HiveAlive! Proven to increase bee health, honey yield, and overwinter survival, HiveAlive's unique formula includes seaweed, thyme, and lemongrass, making it easy to feed. Choose from HiveAlive's Fondant Patties, High-Performance Pollen Patties, or EZ Feed Super Syrup—ready-to-use options for busy beekeepers. Buy locally or online. Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry . _______________ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents ; Epilogue by Musicalman ; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus ; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse ; Wedding Day by Boomer ; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music ; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart ; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC ** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC