Dr. Karen Bell
Keep Liberty Beautiful
Last week, during National Pollinator Week, Keep Liberty Beautiful organized a series of engaging in-person and online activities. We hosted online contests and shared fascinating facts about pollinators throughout the week.
On Monday, we set up nine interactive stations, where 70 participants discovered how they can contribute to pollinator conservation in our community. At one of these stations, I had the pleasure of meeting two of the Three Smart Bees. Their unique journey, from Combat Boots to Beekeeping, was a captivating tale that I’m sure you’ll find as inspiring as I did.
Did you know that the food on your plate owes its existence to pollinators? It’s true: One out of every three bites of food you take is made possible by pollination. Bees, birds, butterflies, and bats are just a few of the hardworking members of the pollinator family that sustain the health of our ecosystem. This is why the journey of pollinator conservation and beekeeping, undertaken by a local family, is so crucial. It’s not just their passion but a responsibility we all share.
What started out as a therapeutic hobby for a combat veteran and Liberty County native, Adrian Jones, later turned into a passion for him and his entire family.
Originally from Midway, Jones has always had a passion for all things nature and outdoors, whether farming, gardening, fishing, or hunting. He credits that passion as one of the driving forces that encouraged him and his family to relocate back to his roots in Liberty County after his career in the U.S. Navy. Whether stateside or thousands of miles away overseas, the Jones family has always gravitated toward ways to incorporate sustainable living measurements into their family lifestyle.
Jones describes beekeeping as “an empowering experience that isn’t as easy as some would think. There’s no one-size-fitsall approach. Beekeeping requires time, patience, attention to detail, and a tenacious drive to truly understand honeybees and how they thrive in their environment. Thousands of bees are in a hive, strategically working together, navigating a system.
Although the bees have different jobs, they all work together to protect their environment with one mission and one focus. Sounds similar to the military to me, but instead of combating terrorism at this point in my life, I’m combating hive beetles and wax moths in my quest for pollinator preservation.”
A couple of years ago, his sons, Quentin and Tamirus, who were 9 and 10 at the time, desired to take part in the Liberty County Children’s Business Fair, an event that cultivates and promotes entrepreneurship from local children and allows them to showcase their skills and talents. They toggled with ideas for their small business and then figured since they had been Dad’s “beekeeping helpers,” they would sell honey that they helped harvest. The name search began, and they came up with three smart bees — representing both brothers and their baby sister, Khloe.
The boys always called apiaries “honey farms,” so adding it to their business name was only fitting. Their idea was a hit, and Three Smart Bees Apiary and Honey Farm ended up selling out within the first hour of the business fair!
Beekeeping has not only allowed the children to expand their knowledge of apiculture, agriculture, and business operations, but it has also increased their confidence and self-esteem on so many levels. “Teamwork, problem-solving, patience, and navigating responsibility are a few of the attributes that the boys have improved on since beginning their beekeeping journey. Little Khloe is just happy to help organize and count honey bottles at this time!” said their mother, Dr. Nisha Jones. “We have always encouraged our children to not only learn new things but also to share the knowledge that they learn with others. We believe that providing them with a hands-on approach to learning is key to success, so we’ve incorporated everything from business operations lessons to effective money management lessons, food safety lessons, and more. We’ve always enjoyed introducing our children to new experiences that will educate and empower them, and it is my greatest hope that Three Smart Bees Apiary and Honey Farm will continue to thrive as our family continues to diversify the apiculture community.”
For more buzzing information on the Jones family and their beekeeping journey, or to purchase their local natural honey, visit their website at www.threesmartbees. com or follow them on social media (Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/threesmartbees or Instagram: https://www. instagram.com/three_ smart_bees) where they are always sharing photos of their journey, as well as helpful information on pollinator conservation, preservation, and their love for honeybees.
You can contact Keep Liberty Beautiful to learn more about our programs, call (912) 880-4888, email klcb@libertycountyga. com, or visit our website www.keeplibertybeautiful. org.