P&D Honey Farm
Owners: David and Paula Panahi
Location: Fair Grove, Mo.
History: David and Paula Panahi established P&D Honey Farm in the Missouri Ozarks in 2007. The couple moved to the Fair Grove, Mo., area from California.
Paula owned her own catering business in Los Angeles and after moving to the Ozarks, she reestablished her business with P&D Catering. David, who was born in Iran, is retired from the carpet and flooring business after nearly 35 years.
“We had a dream of having a farm, something where we could grow things,” Paula said.
Products and services: David and Paula have more than 100 hives and specialize in comb honey, as well as extracted honey. All processing is done in their health department-inspected commercial kitchen.
In addition to having hives at their farm, hives are also placed at farms within a 50-mile radius of their home. Each hive has about 40,000 bees.
David explained that by having hives in other locations, they are able to produce honey that offers a variety of flavors.
“What they are taking from different flowers makes the tastes and flavors different,” David said. “When we combine all of the flavors together, it really makes ours very unique because we have the advantage of all of the different locations.”
The hives also help farmers by pollinating their crops.
“We just don’t go anywhere where they ask,” David said. “We go out, look at a location and see what they have and if they have enough food for the bees. One location we have has 300 acres and have all sorts of things growing. There are flowers, vegetables and everything; they are good agriculturalist, so our honey from that area comes out very flavorful.”
They typically produce about 2 tons of honey a year, but last year’s wet weather reduced collections to around a ton. They sell honey by the jar or the bucket, depending on the quaintly desired.
The couple sells their products from their home, as well as at the Fair Grove Heritage Festival each fall. Last summer, they began a small self-serve store at their home.
The Panahis also strive to educate people about bees and bee keeping, and hold “honey breakfast” events from time to time, which allow visitors the opportunity to learn about bees and honey production, as well as sample the honey.
“Honey is pure, raw and unfiltered, and local,” David added.
