The Valley View Village Bee Yard
Tending honeybees at Valley View Village — pollinating the Hill Country, harvesting pure local honey, and reminding us just how beautifully connected God created us all to be.
The ARK apiary provides an outdoor classroom to grow our understanding of neighbor by caring and partnering with honey bees. The apiary is holy ground for families across the Highland Lakes to learn about bees and pollinators, to taste and see the wonder of honey, and to have a close encounter with what it looks like to be united in purpose and action for the good of the larger community.
Why an Apiary?
The Ark Apiary is one more way Ark of Highland Lakes lives out our mission to unite hands, heal hearts, and transform communities.
Honeybees are our quiet, behind-the-scenes neighbors. They pollinate the wildflowers, gardens, and orchards across the Hill Country, care for the land that feeds us, and fill us with awe at how connected God made the world to be. The bees at our Valley View Bee Yard also produce pure, local honey that supports the Ark’s ministries and the families we serve.
Did you know it takes about 90,000 miles of flying and roughly 2 million flower visits to make a single pound of honey? When you taste honey, remember just how connected you are to the world around you — and give thanks for all that creation does to give us life.
Apiary at a Glance
- Apiary workdays for individuals, families, and groups
- Fresh honey and other products of the hive offered through Ark programs
- Encounter-based learning for children, students, adults, and small groups
- Equipment and tools that area beekeepers can borrow
- Skills training in land management best practices
- Classes for those interested in pollinators or getting into beekeeping
From the Bee Yard
Take a few minutes with beekeeper Harold Vanicek for a look inside the Valley View Bee Yard.
How the Apiary Works
Honey at its core is sun-powered… just like you and me and all things on this planet. We can trace the grace of life back to our sun — and people of faith might say we are Son-powered too.
TEND
Our beekeeper and volunteers care for the colonies through every season — adding space as colonies grow from small five-frame nucs into thriving 14- and 22-frame hives, watching over the queen (who lays around 2,000 eggs a day in spring!), and keeping each colony healthy and strong. By early June, a single colony can grow to roughly 50,000 bees.
HARVEST
As the spring nectar flow winds down in late June and early July, the bees finish turning nectar into honey. Volunteers gather to extract, bottle, and label the harvest — usually over the course of one busy morning or afternoon. It takes many hands working side by side.
SHARE
The honey, and the story of the bee yard, are shared with our community. The bees remind us that small acts, repeated faithfully and done together, add up to something that blesses everyone — which is exactly the heart of the Ark’s mission.
Why partner with honey bees?
The Ark Apiary is a vital part of Valley View Village because human flourishing is only possible on a flourishing planet. In times of crisis or disaster, we see and experience just how deeply interconnected and interdependent our community and world is.
This apiary benefits the Ark Garden, and all flowering plants and trees in a three-mile radius, enabling more abundant garden harvests to fill our food pantries, and more abundant wildflowers to fill us all with wonder, joy, and hope. Pollinators are behind-the-scenes neighbors who are key to a healthy and resilient community.
We are also partnering with honey bees, because not everyone wants to be a beekeeper. Yet, maybe you or your family might find it transformational to have a safe and close encounter with bees, or learn more about how to support pollinators in your own backyard. This apiary is a place to teach and provide classes on beekeeping, learn land management skills, and to grow and support the beekeeping community of the Highland Lakes.
So, what better way to be neighbor and community, than to encounter, support, partner, and delight with some of our nearest neighbors – honey bees!
The Power of Working Together
Since arriving at Valley View, our bees have produced around 400 pounds of honey. Take in what that represents:
- Over 800 million flower visits since mid-April
- The lifetime work of roughly 360,000 worker bees
- An estimated 109–181 million bee-miles flown — the equivalent of circling the earth more than 4,000 times
These tiny neighbors care for us in countless ways — helping plants, birds, and other creatures thrive — and they fill us with wonder at the impact each of us can make, especially when we work together. We believe God works in a million little ways to transform our world and the whole community of creation.
Who the Apiary Serves
The Bee Yard blesses the whole Highland Lakes community.
- The ARK Garden and local growers, through pollination
- Families and ministries supported by the Ark, through pure local honey
- Volunteers of all ages who find purpose, learning, and connection in the bee yard
- The wider Hill Country ecosystem — wildflowers, orchards, and pollinator habitat
Ways to Serve in the Bee Yard
There is a place for you in the Ark Apiary, whether you are a curious first-timer or an experienced beekeeper.
- Join a bee yard workday to help inspect, maintain, and care for the hives
- Lend a hand at the honey harvest — extracting, bottling, and labeling
- Donate supplies (hive boxes, frames, jars, tools) or give a monetary gift
- Share your skills as a beekeeping mentor or helper
If you would like to help, fill out our volunteer interest form and our team will follow up with upcoming bee yard workdays. Protective gear and safety guidance are provided for hands-on hive work.
Apiary Close-Encountering and Volunteering
The Ark Apiary is located at Valley View Village, 582 FM 1855, Marble Falls — the Ark’s 211-acre property, convenient to families and volunteers across the Highland Lakes.
In Texas, the honey harvest comes at the end of the spring nectar flow, in late June and early July. Be on the lookout for a summer honey harvest event — it takes a good number of helping hands to extract, bottle, and label everything in a single morning or afternoon.
BEE STILL MONDAYS
In a busy and fast-paced world, it is healthy, healing, and centering to slow down – to move at the speed of breath, creation, and God. Through the psalmist God speaks, “be still and know that I am God.”(46:10). Sign-up to gather in the beeyard at sunrise for a 30 minute meditation WITH bees (bee suit provided). Group size limited to 5. We begin with a passage or quote to center our time, and then all will silently sit / dwell near a bee hive for 10 minutes to watch, listen, wonder, and reflect. We will close with a brief sharing of our experience and then move into our day. Offered on the 1st and 3rd Mondays at sunrise.
MEET THE BEES
This is for those who want a close encounter with honey bees, or maybe are interested in getting into beekeeping and want to first learn more. “Meet the bees” is a 45-minute neighboring session with a hive of bees (suit provided). Group size limited to 5. During the session, you will learn how to put on a bee suit, light a smoker, and get to know tools of beekeeping. You will learn about the various castes and roles bees play in the life of the colony. We will open up a hive and look at frames, where you will see baby bees, honey, and pollen (and maybe the queen!). You will get a chance to hold a frame of bees and taste the honey from that hive. Offered on 1st and 3rd Mondays at 9am.
VOLUNTEER AT THE APIARY
Sign-up if you are interested in helping care and maintain the apiary. Help regularly fill the water feature (bees drink lots of water and use water to cool off their hives). Help with monthly hive inspections and seasonly applying our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy for varroa mites, ants, hive beetles, etc. We will have a couple larger work days during the year to manage larger brush and trees, storage clean-up, etc. Signing up gets you on a contact list for date/time opportunities as they are planned.
Upcoming Ark Apiary Event Dates:
Help the Bee Yard Thrive
The ARK Garden is a one acre plot with a big purpose. Every hour volunteered, every bed planted, and every harvest shared helps a family take one more step toward stability and hope.
The ARK apiary is about being a better neighbor for the good of the community…with creation…with humanity…with God.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Do I need beekeeping experience to help?
No. We welcome first-timers. Our beekeeper provides guidance, and protective gear is available for hands-on hive work. Watch our – Welcome to the Hive Video!
Is it safe? Will I get stung?
Beekeeping always carries a small chance of a sting, but with proper gear and calm handling it is uncommon. If you have a known bee-sting allergy, let us know and we will find a great role for you that does not involve opening the hives.
What should I wear or bring?
Wear light-colored clothing, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. We provide veils and suits for hive work. Bring water, sunscreen, and a hat for harvest days.
Can families and groups serve together?
Yes. Families, youth groups, and church or community groups are welcome. Some tasks are perfect for all ages; minors should be supervised by a parent, guardian, or group leader at all times. Find a time to serve together.
When is the honey harvest?
Typically late June through early July, at the end of the nectar flow. Specific dates are announced in early summer — watch the events calendar and email list.
What happens to the honey?
Our pure, local honey supports Ark ministries and the community. Watch for seasonal opportunities to learn more and get involved.
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