Member Spotlight- Lee's Bees
Sweet Rewards for Lee’s Bees Abound with Faith and Passion
Dr. Jeffrey Lee has had a passion for bees from an early age. He had his first hive at age 13 and never lost the delight in being a “bee shepherd” as he calls it. Dr. Lee now owns Lee’s Bees, a thriving pollination rental and honey business in Mebane, NC and Jamesville, NC. Although his passion never waned throughout the years, his journey to his current occupation has not been without struggles. Certainly, though, the rewards have been sweet.
Dr. Lee went to college for chemistry and biology at Pepperdine and Duke. After college, he started working in the North Carolina pharmaceuticals industry. After a few years, he realized he would always have a boss if he stayed in his line of work. And so, he bet everything on bees, selling everything he had and maxing out every credit card. He took out a home equity loan and bought bees.
The process to purchase land to house the bees and build a workshop began. AgCarolina was the only lender that would consider lending Dr. Lee the money for his venture.
“I’ve always been appreciative of that [the loan for Lee’s Bees] because when I was very young in the business, they were willing to loan me the money,” said Dr. Lee.
Dr. Lee was specifically interested in locations where he could make Tupelo honey. Tupelo honey is known for its rarity and flavor. It comes from the blossoms of the tupelo tree (Nyssa aquatica). The flavor is fruity, with a bit of citrus floral. Jamesville was an area where Dr. Lee could produce the sought-after Tupelo honey. The bees make the special honey in April near the Tupelo swamp.
Today, Lee’s Bees has 2,000-3000 colonies ( ~85 million bees) that are moved throughout the year to various locations across the country to find flowers for the bees to eat. Some bees are rented out to farmers to pollinate crops like almonds in California, blueberries in Maine, cranberries in Wisconsin, and watermelons and squash in NC. Some bees continue to travel around the state, producing honeys such as Sourwood, Gallberry, Wild Flower, Clary, Sage, and the Water Tupelo.
“It’s a leap of faith whenever you go into a business on your own, and you’re relying on an insect to pay all of your bills,” said Dr. Lee.
After betting it all on bees, his passion and faith have carried him to some sweet rewards.
“I believe God has groomed me for this position,” Dr. Lee said. “I have faith that as long as I try to bring glory to God, everything will work out.”