Matthew Byrd, a native of West Virginia, has always held a fascination with wildlife, the outdoors and his home state. A graduate of WVU with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management, Byrd now operates 15 beehives throughout Ritchie County.
Byrd’s and Bee’s Honey, LLC is focused on producing high-quality, great tasting, small-batch honey with a passion for helping the declining honeybee population.
At sixteen, Byrd attended a beginners beekeeping class offered through the wildlife department of Ritchie County. Feeling drawn to the process and maintenance of bees and beehives, Byrd began his foray into beekeeping as a hobby, managing a few hives throughout the remainder of his high school and college career.
A first-generation beekeeper, Byrd credits his early days of learning for much of his present success. Over the years, he has entered and won several honey-tasting competitions, as well as the annual West Virginia Collegiate Business Plan Competition, which he won in 2017.
Byrd’s and Bee’s Honey is a young but decorated beekeeping company supplying some of the best honey in West Virginia. In the years to come, Byrd hopes to continue selling nucleus colonies of beehives and begin producing and supplying Queen Bees to local beekeepers — a service not presently offered in the state.
In West Virginia, trees are the primary source of honey extraction. Byrd lists several trees in his orchard that separate his product from other competitors, including tulip poplar, sourwood, apple, peach and basswood. He is also dedicated to a unique style of packaging and branding, unlike other honey producers in his industry.
In ten years, Byrd anticipates expanding from a one-person band to several employees and managing up to 100 beehives. He also intends to manufacture specialty honey with various infusions of natural flavors, spices and peppers.
Byrd is hopeful that his efforts will continue to amass a dedicated clientele and assist in the development of the beekeeping industry in West Virginia.
If you’d like to keep up with Matthew Byrd at Byrd’s and Bee’s Honey, LLC, you can visit https://www.byrdsandbeeshoney.com.
Listen to the full podcast here: https://positivelywv.com/podcast/episode-187-matthew-byrd-byrds-and-bees/
PWV QUICK BITS | MATTHEW BYRD
- RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Ramsey Solutions by Dave Ramsey
- PIECE OF ADVICE: “Make a commitment to yourself. You’re going to fall, [but] get up and try again,” advised Byrd.