6 Generations of Beekeepers
Bryant Honey is a family honey company that was started in 1915 with one mission, by H.E Bryant, to serve the best tasting local honey Wyoming had ever tasted. Way back at that time the Bryants had a small dairy farm with 50 honey bee colonies, goats, cows, and chickens, all brought in by rail cart from Colorado. The bees supplied local demand for barder and trade of necessary goods and services to keep the business and family afloat. They were able to continue to manage healthy honeybee colonies for 4 more generations to come. Each generation added a little more to the operation, little by little, and created a sustainable family honey business.
By the 1980s Robert A. Bryant had over 1000 colonies and a full scale commercial honeybee operation. The bees spent the summers in the Big Horn Basin making Alfalfa/Clover honey, then would get packed with insulation for the cold winter months. This gave the bees got a nice needed break for winter as well as the beekeepers. All the bee box handling was done by hand until the invention of outdoor forklifts and palletization in the early 90s.
This gave Don and Bob, the 4th generation, the opportunity to grow exponentially and expand their wings into 6 counties and manage around 5000 colonies around the state. This expansion included the purchase of Fremont honey company in Torrington WY, and also the panhandle of Nebraska. It gave Bryant Honey the ability to diversify their honey and pollination efforts, and create new territory for their bees to spread their wings.
Up to the early 2000s, Bryant Honey was mainly always focused on honey production and colony winterization. But a new market began to grow in the Central valley of California, it was the booming Almond industry. The Almonds became another important source of pollen and income for the bees and the Bryants survival. Over the years Bryant Honey has continued their growth with some of the largest nut producers in the world. Reaching over 10,000 healthy colonies of bees all collecting honey in 14 counties in Wyoming.
Today, Bryant Honey has continued its growth, managing over 10,000 colonies and adding another honey company, Wind River Honey Company, to its territories. Brandon and Brady Bryant, 5th generation, have continued to nurture and grow the bee operation, adding a Queen Breeding program and integrating new business tactics and ideas.