- We offer thoughtful hive placement that supports pollination, land health, ag exemption options, and hands-on learning.
Setting up Your Apiary
Ag Exemption FAQs - Learn Beekeeping
Be part of regenerative agAccessible, real-world beekeeping education—private lessons, group talks, schools, clubs, and on-site learning with "hands in hives" and apprenticeship program.
How much does it cost to get started?
Your first lesson in honey - Honey for Your Store
or Honey under your brandWholesale Hacienda Harelik Honey prices for your store, or Custom-labeled honey-filled jars so you can sell under your own brand with confidence. Email Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com for a quote or price sheet.
Are you ready to buy bees? Our 2026 nuc sales page is ready - deposits must be made by Feb 1st.
Partnering with a beekeeper is one of the most powerful ways to invest in regenerative agriculture, improve soil and plant health, and reconnect your land to a living ecosystem. Thank you for trusting us!
Email: Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com
Email: Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com
Three Ways to Bring Bees to Your Land
We breed and keep West Texas bees right here in the Big Country - suited for our ecoregion. And we love helping you get bees on your land through three main pathways.
OPTION 1: Regenerative Pollination Partnership
We are currently full for 2026 - thank you for your generosity in hosting bees! Please email Tiff@TiffanyHarelik.com to get on the waiting list.
A regenerative pollination partnership for landowners who want impact without investment.
Why landowners love this option:
No cost to landowner.
Choose Option 1 if you:
A regenerative pollination partnership for landowners who want impact without investment.
Why landowners love this option:
- Supports regenerative agriculture by increasing pollination and biodiversity
- Zero cost—no upfront investment or monthly fees
- Fully hands-off: the beekeeper owns and manages the bees
- Improves flowering cycles, forage quality, and land vitality
- Ideal for large properties focused on ecological restoration
No cost to landowner.
Choose Option 1 if you:
- Want to support regenerative agriculture
- Prefer a no-cost solution to pollination
- Are focused on long-term land health
OPTION 2: Ag Exemption Hive Placement
Do you have 5-20 acres in the Big Country area? We service Taylor, Callahan, Eastland, Nolan, Runnels, and Jones counties—and are expanding. Here's how it works.
The easiest, cleanest way to meet ag exemption requirements is to hire a beekeeper to keep their bees on your property.
Why this works so well:
Cost to landowner: $18/hive per month, billed annually for bees within 30 minutes of our home base in Abilene.
Yes, we can travel further and still offer a reduced rate of $25/hive per month, billed annually for bees that are 30-60 miles away from Abilene.
Kindly note: Industry standard fees are $35-$45/month per colony. We are able to offer these services at a lower rate in 2026, and would love to support you.
Choose Option 2 if you:
The easiest, cleanest way to meet ag exemption requirements is to hire a beekeeper to keep their bees on your property.
Why this works so well:
- Meets county CAD ag exemption standards to save on taxes
- Monthly cost per hive—with no capital or upfront investment to purchase bees and equipment
- Saves time—there is no educational component to learn beekeeping skills needed since you are hiring the beekeeper to maintain the colony requirements of your county
- Bees, equipment, feeding, treatments, inspections, and all maintenance are handled by a professional, seasoned keeper
- Avoids the $550+ per colony startup cost and ongoing maintenance fees associated with bees
- Adds real agricultural activity that improves land productivity and increases crop yield by 40%
- No liability on losses—the beekeeper is contractually required to maintain the number of colonies your county requires
Cost to landowner: $18/hive per month, billed annually for bees within 30 minutes of our home base in Abilene.
Yes, we can travel further and still offer a reduced rate of $25/hive per month, billed annually for bees that are 30-60 miles away from Abilene.
Kindly note: Industry standard fees are $35-$45/month per colony. We are able to offer these services at a lower rate in 2026, and would love to support you.
Choose Option 2 if you:
- Need an ag exemption (agricultural tax benefits) and want to ensure compliance with county regulations (here's how it works)
- Want a professional, hands-off setup
- Prefer predictable monthly costs with zero equipment investment
OPTION 3: Landowner-Owned Bees with Education
The most immersive option—for those who want ownership, learning, and honey from their land.
Why landowners choose this path:
You'll learn hands-on about bee biology and maintenance, as well as honey production for home, market, or show purposes.
Cost to landowner: This varies depending on equipment style, honey production goals, and each family's budget. Please read the articles linked below, and text or call Tiffany at 512-484-0878 to schedule a free discovery call.
The majority of new bee purchases and installations occur in April and May.
Deposits for bees (nucs) are required by February 1st, 2026.
Choose Option 3 if you:
Why landowners choose this path:
- You own the equipment, bees and the honey they produce
- Harvest honey that reflects the unique terroir and medicinal properties of your land
- On-site beekeeping education tailored to your property
- Option for full-service maintenance if you prefer not to manage the bees
- Creates a legacy asset rooted in stewardship and self-sufficiency
You'll learn hands-on about bee biology and maintenance, as well as honey production for home, market, or show purposes.
Cost to landowner: This varies depending on equipment style, honey production goals, and each family's budget. Please read the articles linked below, and text or call Tiffany at 512-484-0878 to schedule a free discovery call.
The majority of new bee purchases and installations occur in April and May.
Deposits for bees (nucs) are required by February 1st, 2026.
Choose Option 3 if you:
- Want your own honey from your own land
- Are interested in learning beekeeping or building a legacy project
- Want maximum connection to your land and food system
- Have a flexible budget and enough time to support the hobby
Consider year-round water, forage, and safety measures
Preparing your land for bees: 3 considerations
Ensure your property is ready to welcome bees with our three main guidelines below.
Click these links for helpful articles:
How much does it cost to get started in beekeeping?
How does renting hives for ag exemption work?
Setting Up Your Apiary + installation instructions / and video
Click these links for helpful articles:
How much does it cost to get started in beekeeping?
How does renting hives for ag exemption work?
Setting Up Your Apiary + installation instructions / and video
- Safety: Property Assessment
- Do you have penned livestock, young children/elderly that spend time alone outside?We want to ensure their safety through training and education. Watch this tragic interview with a young woman who lost her horses to bees for a reality check.
- Do you have a pool, or a water source that isn't a pool?The bees require access to water year-round. They fly up to three miles, however - they will orient themselves to the closest water source which can be problematic.
- What does mowing the area look like? Mowing and weed-eating can trigger aggressive behavior (especially in the Spring when honey reserves are expanding rapidly). All of the fatalities of humans and horses due to bees in our area last year were stimulated in the Spring when someone started the mower.
- Do you or your neighbors use chemicals/pesticides? Certain garden/crop chemicals can be lethal to bees. While we can't control the environment 100%, we can limit our risk by placing bees in mostly organic areas.
- Sustainability: Creating a bee-friendly environment
- Food: What type of forage is available for the bees? Mesquite and wildflowers are great. Bees fly up to 3 miles - and will find whatever is available (including livestock or bird feed). We hope to place bees on land that sustains them with natural forage without needing to intervene and feed year round. Planting a flowering tree is like planting 'an acre in the sky' - and more helpful than a few flowers. Bees need access to forage all year. Dandelions and mistletoe are the first to bloom in our region, followed by mesquite, wild plum, cotton, and honeydew.
- Water: Bees require access to water to hydrate and cool their colonies. A natural water source like a stock tank works well, or we can install a large plastic watering tank with an automatic waterer.
- Space: Place bees 300-500 yards away from livestock, and your home.
- Load: Your property already has native pollinators - we don't want to diminish them by bringing in too many bees at once. We will start with a guesstimate number of hives, and determine what your land can bear over time.
- Set up: Apiary SuccessKnowing your goals with the bees will help you determine which equipment to use. Here is a helpful article that considers location and equipment styles.
- We will set your bees up in a tree-line that has partial shade. Although you may find literature that says to keep them in full sun to reduce pests and disease, our area is much too hot to keep bees in the full sun year after year. Their wax homes melt, and they abscond.
- Ideally we will set them up with their entrance facing the Southeast. to catch the early morning sun, which warms the hive, gets bees active sooner, and encourages longer foraging days for more honey, while also potentially deflecting cold prevailing winds and providing afternoon shade.
- Pick a spot that is easy to drive up with equipment. Often we are carrying heavy equipment to/from the apiary and will need access to drive the truck straight up to your colonies. We will need to store some equipment nearby, ideally in an open air but covered area, that is away from livestock.
- Place weed cloth down under your colonies and add cinder blocks or fencing around the colonies. This will decrease the need to weed eat near the hive, and also protect the colony from nosey wildlife that may knock the hives over.
- Consider height of your colonies and hive style. The two main hive styles we work with are langstroth boxes, and top bars. Some beekeepers will want to place their colonies on work tables so they don't have to bend down. Others will choose top bar equipment. There are lots of great set ups designed to save your back from the pain of heavy lifting. I will help you install your bees. For an overview, here are installation instructions and video.
Check out our Podcast!
One of the most challenging things about getting into beekeeping is the vast diversity of management styles. We gathered the best of the best when it comes to professional beekeepers, scientists, and bee lore tellers - and grouped them by growing region in this fun podcast for bee enthusiasts of all levels. Season one takes place in the Lone Star State - Texas.
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Leading Expertise
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