Brooksville beekeeper turns backyard hobby into buzzing honey business

From backyard hives to buzzing bee farm business

What started with just a few backyard beehives has grown into a buzzing business in Hernando County.

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - What started with just a few backyard beehives has grown into a buzzing business in Hernando County.

Honey Badgers Bee Farm was founded by Derrick Jerome, who first got interested in beekeeping as a hobby. What began with a handful of hives eventually evolved into a full operation producing raw, local honey and other bee-based products.

Today, the Brooksville farm focuses on harvesting raw, unprocessed honey, preserving the natural enzymes, nutrients and flavors straight from the hive.

From classic honey varieties to infused products, the farm has created a lineup that highlights the versatility of honey in everyday cooking, drinks and wellness.

Dig deeper:

At the heart of Honey Badgers Bee Farm is the process of beekeeping itself — carefully managing hives, monitoring colonies and harvesting honey while keeping the bees healthy and thriving.

Because the honey is raw and unheated, it keeps the natural antioxidants and enzymes that give honey its unique taste and nutritional value.

Visitors can also see the process up close.

The farm offers guided apiary tours, where guests suit up in protective gear and step inside a working hive to learn how bees produce honey and how beekeepers care for their colonies.

Jerome says part of the mission is education — helping people better understand the vital role bees play as pollinators in the ecosystem.

What's next:

Honey Badgers Bee Farm continues expanding its honey products while welcoming visitors to experience beekeeping firsthand.

The farm is located at 20380 Camelot Drive in Brooksville and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visitors can also learn more about their honey, products and apiary tours by clicking here.