In 2014, Blue Ridge Bee Company started out online selling a beekeeping tool they fabricated, called an Oxalic Acid Vaporizer (used to treat against a parasite that kills honey bees). Since its online start, BRBC has expanded into a brick and mortar store in downtown Princeton, WV.
BRBC loves being a part of their community and believes in keeping resources in the community to help grow and strengthen it. Although they knew they were coming into a supportive community, they have still been blown away at just how supportive the community has been. “We expected our community to be receptive of our business but we have been awestruck by how happy they are to have our business and others that have opened that have really put a concerted effort into investing in the community,” says Emily, who owns BRBC with her husband, William.
BRBC loves to educate and talk about everything related to bees and beekeeping, but they are also a staple in the community for local goods such as bread, meats, fruits, veggies, soaps, and more. BRBC wants you to feel like you’re back in the good ole days, like Olesen’s Mercantile on Little House on the Prairie, a regular destination for members of the community. Looking at the love from the community (and from many visitors afar), they seem to be becoming their own version of Oleson’s Mercantile, right in the heart of Princeton, WV.
So the next time you’re in Princeton and want to slow things down, learn about bees, or need to pick up some groceries for dinner, stop in Blue Ridge Bee Company, and don’t forget to treat yourself to an ice cream cone while you’re there.
Fun Fact: Blue Ridge Bee Company was the first American made vaporizer to hit the market after oxalic acid treatment for Varroa mites was approved in the U.S
