David Bradshaw, 70, is the second-generation owner of Bradshaw Honey Farms in Visalia, California. His father transformed a teenage interest in bees into a family business established in 1958.
Today, Bradshaw manages thousands of colonies while facing extreme bee losses, rising operating pressures, unpredictable weather, and a honey industry increasingly dependent on commercial pollination.
Howard’s First Swarm
Howard Bradshaw started his first hive in Hawaii in 1949 while still in high school. After finding a swarm on a bush, he reportedly bought a hive kit from Sears. His growing interest eventually developed from a personal hobby into a commercial operation.
The Farm Began in 1958
Howard formally established Bradshaw Honey Farms in 1958. The business supported his wife and five children and later moved with the family to California. What started in a backyard became a long-running operation producing honey and supplying managed colonies for agricultural pollination.
David Grew Up With Bees
David remembers playing near the hives as a child and learning not to get too close. He later bought his first 200 colonies while still in high school. Years of daily work taught him that successful beekeeping requires knowledge of weather, flowering crops, bee health, and seasonal movement.
He Took Over
Howard sold approximately 2,000 colonies to David in 1997. David continued expanding the farm while his father remained involved until retiring in 2014. The transfer gave the younger beekeeper responsibility for protecting both the bees and a business built across two generations.
Four Thousand Colonies
Bradshaw now manages about 4,000 colonies across California. Maintaining that number involves inspecting hives, replacing queens, treating pests, feeding colonies when natural forage is limited, transporting bees, harvesting honey, and preparing strong colonies for pollination contracts.
Pollination Supports the Farm
Commercial beekeepers rent colonies to growers whose crops require large numbers of pollinators during short flowering periods. Bradshaw’s bees move among agricultural areas, including orchards. Pollination income has become increasingly important as weather, production costs, and competition make honey revenue less predictable.
Colony Losses Hit Hard
Bradshaw was among the commercial beekeepers affected by extraordinary colony losses during the 2024–2025 winter. A national industry survey estimated that responding commercial operations lost an average of 62 percent of their colonies. Bradshaw described the scale of the losses as unprecedented in his experience.
The Next Generation Helps
Bradshaw’s daughter works full-time at the farm and manages honey bottling, while his son helps when needed. He has described the business as a legacy he feels responsible for protecting. Keeping it alive means rebuilding colonies while preparing another generation to understand the work.
Featured Image: Photo by Kawê Rodrigues on Pexels
