Ocean Springs business using bees to help the environment
Who doesn’t love a little honey? One man in Ocean Springs transformed his hobby into a way to give to the community.
John Long first got into beekeeping in 2013. Then decided to turn it into a small business, Long’s Buzzin’ Honey, with a commitment to sustainability.
The idea came during COVID where Long and his daughter, Emily Clark, worked to bring local honey to the community. Long said his grandchildren are a part of the work, creating their own bee-related artwork to sell.
Long also said the creation of the business is not only to bring something sweet to the community, but also to give back to the environment. “Well, it started as a hobby of mine. I just had a couple of hives in my backyard and then I learned I could sell some honey to my friends because the bees produced more than I needed. When the pandemic hit, my daughter was no longer employed. When we started our business, it wasn’t so much for a business. It was because of something we love to do which is help with the climate and help with the sustainability of our earth. We need to take care of it and we need to take care of our honey bees to do that.”
According to the National Institute of Health, bees contribute to the biodiversity of the environment by pollinating flowering trees and plants. Beekeeping can also contribute to forest conversation.
