Mauro Family Farm, LLC | Application Preview
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 23058141
Location: Royston, GA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
As previous financial notes; all annual recurring expense
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Business Plan
Increase quantity of # of hives/honeybees. The normal expansion year to year is doubling from "splitting" hives due to increased internal hive population. If the genetics are strong I can possibly see natural annual growth/expansion of 3 times. Optimal bee yard is 40 hives on property, and I then grow into additional bee yards beyond 5 - 10 miles from my current yards to prevent robbing etc. I have negotiated with local farmers to utilize their property as I expand. By natural honey bee population, this automatically grows the quantity of of yearly honey and lotion sales. I am also researching my local region for leasing my honey bees for an annual two month period to fruit and vegetable crop farmers that require pollination from the honey bees. The most significant growth for any honey bee operation is selling honey bees and queens. I see this realization of the queen bee sales development with my daughter handling that section of the business. As annual growth occurs, so will the expenses by expanding supplies, warehousing, additional vehicles, and labor. Through my initial research in beekeeping, I've learned it helps to build local food systems by pollinating urban farms and gardens and provide local community with local organic produced honey. Honey bees play a critical role in our food system accounting for the pollination of over 85 different crops. This is done through ensuring that the right equipment is properly installed, kept clean and timely harvesting of its contents. To begin with, as I stated in my financials section, I must keep records of all operations from the start to the final stages of attaining the sweats of my labor. Keeping in mind that the bee is the king in this enterprise, or actually the "Queen" since honey bees are female! I must always ensure its safety. Bees love privacy. If provoked, they will fight back. That's why my operations are currently on 28 acres. It’s also necessary to grow flowering plants within the farm to act as collection points for nectar for the bees. I've planted a variety of fruit trees, that the deer just love also. I also plant at least 2 - 3 acres of annual wildflowers each year. Establishing the business, therefore, was investing my seed capital by purchasing bees and beehives. I bought out a beekeeper getting out of the business. My initial cost of his bees and supplies was $2,800. I started doing the management and maintenance part as I for wait the bees to do their tedious part of building the bee colony and making honey. While I'm doing it in small scale right now, or, as hopefully as a big enterprise with my family more involved, I can easily find fun and enjoyment as I wait to reap big in farming because it’s quite lucrative as it mature in time as I eventually intend to pass on to my children and their families. On a personal note, the majority of my military disability rating as a Marine Corps Infantry Officer is from PTSD. There are current studies that show beekeeping has proven to be beneficial in the daily therapy from PTSD. I can attest to that first hand. Being a beekeeper is more of a "calling," as is being a Marine.
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Self Identified Competition
My local competitors are more on the large operations side already. One is Lanier Bee Barn. He is located approximately 30 miles from me. He actually is an instructor for new beekeepers, and he maintains approximately 80 - 100+ hives. He annually sells bee packages and queens, and he is also a local distributor of a national beekeeping supplier, Mann Lake. He is what I would refer to as my mentor. The next business is Booger Hill Bee Farm. He is located approximately 20 miles from me. He is actually the president of the Madison County Beekeepers Association. I would call him more of a mid-size operation, 5- 75 hives. He keeps his hives spread out in his county and also stages them in the North Carolina mountains for sourwood honey in the fall. It's just a two person business, him and his wife. The last, and I can't imagine he is a competitor, he is "the" honeybee business in Georgia. Bob Binnie, owner of Blue Ridge Honey Company. They are located approximately 40 miles from me up towards the Georgia/North Carolina border. He is the biggest operation in all of Georgia. I think they currently maintain anywhere from 1,000 - 1,500 hives. Huge retail store in Clayton , GA. Huge warehouse operation. Probably employs over 15 employees. Big selection of past and current YouTube videos. I believe his current company value is $1.2 million dollars, or more. I've worked with his employees on queen rearing at no charge. He likes to help out new beekeepers getting started. I am a 100% disabled Marine Corps veteran, and there are no others operating honeybee businesses within 25 - 50 miles that we are aware of or advertise as.
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