The Knief/Davis family poses with a key component of row crop grain farming, which is the main focus of VelDale Farms. Pictured, standing, from left: Dale and Velda Knief; Nathan Davis, holding son Warren; Nathan’s wife, Erika, holding daughter Quinn; Jessica Davis; Emily and Tim Davis. On the tractor, from left: Marissa, Emery and Lauryn Davis. (EXAMINER PHOTO | SHARYN KOPF)
When Velda and Dale Knief started their dairy farm after they were married in 1964, they probably anticipated things could change over time. They certainly hoped it would become a successful family company. But it’s unlikely they ever would have imagined the “buzz” it would eventually create.
It was almost 30 years later, though, before the first major change came in 1991 and they transitioned from dairy to row crop grain farming. That’s also when they established the business as VelDale Farms.
The Knief’s daughter, Emily, and her husband, Tim Davis, were actively involved in farming for many years while also working other jobs. Then, in 2010, they started in at VelDale full-time.
But this is a multi-generational company and all four of the Davis’s children have, over the years, joined in the work. And they found success in farming.
The surprise, though, came in 2016 when Tim and Emily’s son, Nate, first introduced the idea of a commercial honeybee operation. And that’s when things branched out in a whole new direction.
“What started as a hobby soon turned into a growing family business,” Emily said.
In the eight years since Nate brought his interest in honeybees to their attention, it has grown exponentially. Though Davis Apiaries started out of their home with some work in the barn, they had to build a new bee facility near Bloom Center in 2021.
They currently care for six- to seven-hundred colonies across four counties, and each colony will hold about 80,000 bees at their peak in July.
Even Nate is surprised by the success.
“It’s far beyond what I envisioned,” he said. “I just started it as something to do.”
Emily added, “Each family member has been able to find their own niche. They’ve used their individual talents and we’ve really come together as a family business.”
Tim and Emily’s oldest daughter, Jessica, who lives in Dayton, has created a line of skincare products like body butters, lip bombs and healing cream. Though she doesn’t work directly with the bees, her business, Align Massage & Wellness, is an important part of the operation.
Their second daughter, Lauryn, focuses on making beeswax candles and melts that burn clean and fresh, offered in a variety of staple and seasonal scents. She also serves as the company photographer.
Youngest daughter Marissa joined the team in 2022 with Lauryn. Besides being the business’s TikTok guru, Marissa is developing her own line of beeswax products.
Nate and his wife, Erika, have three children—Emery (4), Quinn (3) and Warren (21 months)—and they’re expecting their fourth in August.
“Erika’s involvement in Nate’s Nectar is widespread,” Emily stated. “Not only is she responsible for the social media content, but she writes the quarterly newsletter.”
With that in mind, Erika works closely with Lauryn and Marissa on marketing. She also communicates with stores and companies that buy the products, and helps with deliveries.
Little Emery, who turns 5 next month, now has her own bee suit and gloves and is excited for her own part in helping with the bees this year.
Nate’s Nectar, which is owned by Nate and Erika, offers a quality raw honey with many natural health benefits. And Nate has formulated a recipe for creamed honey that maintains those raw characteristics. They mix it for hours to incorporate air, giving it a different, spreadable consistency.
But Nate isn’t done expanding. He’s currently working on a new formula for creamed honey that includes dried fruit. One thing that helps their production grow is having an FDA-certified kitchen.
These honey- and wax-based products are available throughout Logan County, including at stores like Saucy Sows, The Depot and City Sweets. Gathering Grounds and Native Coffee even incorporate Nate’s Nectar into their beverages.
Still, 75 percent of their sales aren’t in Ohio. They ship goods to every state (except Hawaii) as well as into Canada.
“Anyone can sell a product,” Nate, who currently serves as the Logan County bee inspector, said. “But our value-added product is what sets us apart.”
For Emily, of course, it’s all about being a team.
“I love working together as a family,” she admitted. “Everyone brings a different personality to the business and we complement each other well.”
It’s a big operation, yet, other than occasional high school seasonal help, they do it all themselves. Along with the kitchen, the Davises take care of the honey extraction and storing along with rendering and cleaning the wax at their facility.
And they care for their bees, which are vital to our environment.
“It’s pretty cool the plan God has for honeybees,” Emily concluded.
Nate’s Nectar offers a 24-hour pickup option for customers. You can find out more by visiting their website at NatesNectarAndMore.com.
Davis Apiaries currently cares for several hundred bee colonies across four counties. They feed and work with the bees from January through October, and will extract the honey in late summer. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)