Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Mortimer.
Hi Frank, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story started over fifteen years ago when I first got into beekeeping. What started as a love for stinging insects grew into Frank’s Honey. I am a beekeeper, and the better I got at keeping bees, the more honey I was harvesting. Also, over the years I have increased the number of hives that I take care for. Honey is big in my house, and even though my family and I eat a lot of it, as a certain point I started getting more honey than we could eat, so I started selling it. I am a beekeeper first and committed to raising healthy bees, which in turn means that my honey is the highest quality, 100% Pure, Raw, and All-Natural. Frank’s Honey is Hand-Harvested and Hand–Extracted from Our Family Cared for Hives then Hand-Poured Fresh into Bottles, Bringing High Quality, Sweet Goodness to Your Table.
I also started using the beeswax from my hives to make lip balm, candles, and hand cream. It was the same with these products, first I’d make it for my family, but soon I found that others really wanted locally produced handmade products.
The big turning point for me was when I wrote my book, BEE PEOPLE AND THE BUGS THEY LOVE, as I was getting more media attention, so I created a website for the book and all of my products. My web presence is what really launched my business and established me as Frank The Beeman.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honeybees are part of our natural world, and as such, there are always difficulties and unforeseen events. The biggest struggle with honeybees is a parasitic mite called Varroa destructor. Worldwide, they are responsible for the declining honeybee population. The biggest struggle is the constant attention of what’s needed to keep your bees healthy. I have to constantly monitor and treat for mites, otherwise my bees will die.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the author of Bee People and the Bugs They Love (Citadel Press), an adjunct instructor at the Cornell University Master Beekeeping Program, a master Beekeeper, and I have written multiple articles featured in Bee Culture Magazine and American Bee Journal. As president of the Northeast NJ Beekeepers Association—a position I held for over a decade—I founded the “Honey Cup,” an annual honey-tasting competition. I have also promoted beekeeping by speaking to everyone from school children to gardening clubs and civic organizations. I also lead beekeeping seminars at The New York Botanical Garden, and I successfully campaigned for my hometown of Ridgewood to become New Jersey’s first “Bee City USA.”
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is going for long hikes along a creek that ran through my neighborhood. I’d see so much wildlife, including birds, animals, insects, and snakes. Plus, all the sites and smells from all the plants and trees. I enjoyed getting lost in my thoughts as I was in nature, away from the modern world.
Pricing:
- Frank’s Honey is $18 per 1 lb jar
- Frank’s Honey Lip Balm is 3 tubes for $10
Contact Info:
- Website: https://frankthebeeman.com/franks-honey/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franks.honey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frankshoney
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/franksbees
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frankthebeeman
