Honey of a job for 10-year-old boy
Wednesday August 17, 2005
by Margot Insette, Contributor

Nicholas Motz, 10, is preparing for his annual Honey Bee Harvest Day this weekend at the Clough Valley Sugar Shack.

Nicholas, otherwise known as the Bee Man, runs the Bee Hill Honey business with the help of his family - a job he's done since he was 7 years old.

Joe Motz, Nicholas's father, turned the business over to his son after he took over the business for his father. The Bee Hill Honey business has been the Motz family business for years. Joe Motz's father got Joe started in the business when he was 7.

The young entrepreneur is a fifth-grader at Guardian Angels Elementary School.

"He's always been fascinated with insects and nature," Joe said.

Nicholas learned the businesses through helping his father build the bee hives, work the bees, and bottle the honey.

Although Nicholas still doesn't fully grasp all of the business quite yet, Joe said he's learning what it takes and is slowly getting into all aspects of the business.

Joe said in his son's first year in the business, he built five hives. In his second year, he built 12, and this year the family will be harvesting honey from 23 bee hives.

Nicholas and his father are preparing for the annual Honey Harvest Days this weekend on August 20 and 21. Nicholas, along with the help of his family, will extract the honey that bees have been gathering in the spring and summer months.

The family built boxes to establish the hives early last year. They then placed a wax starter in the hives and the bees fill the hives with nectar.

"What we're able to do is get in the hives and take the excess honey, which we are then able to harvest," Joe said.

Nicholas is excited for the event and is thankful for his father getting him started in the business.

"We'll sell the honey at coffee shops or at the new farmer's market," Nicholas said.

Nicholas said that it makes him feel good to be running a business at such a young age. He said he hopes to keep doing the business for a long time just like his father.

The Honey Harvest Days will take place from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday August 20, and Sunday, August 21, on both days. Patrons are invited to come watch the actual harvesting and bottling of the honey. Honey will be available to purchase.

"It's a great family outing," Joe said. "People will get to watch the honey spin out and then we bottle it up; the kids love it."

For more information on Nicholas's honey business, check out www.beehillhoney.com.

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