Beekeeper Is The Buzz of Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — There is something buzzing about in Bridgewater. Literally. A Bridgewater family has been cultivating honey right in their backyard.

Antonio Ferreira splits his time living in Portugal, Florida and Bridgewater where he has been a beekeeper for the past 40 years as a hobby.

“He just becomes one with his bees,” said Valerie Hodle, Ferreira’s future daughter-in-law. “He takes the hives out without a shirt on and brushes the bees away and then puts it in the machine, spins the honey out of the boxes into a bucket and puts it right into a jar.”

Watch Ferreira with his bees:

Ferreira has 14 hives in Bridgewater, he did lose some due to the harsh winter. Yet he was still able to get 16 cases of honey or about 288 quart-size jars.

Now Hodle is using the honey to implement in her natural product business, Naturally Helpful Market.

“His honey is amazing,” Valerie Hodle told Patch, who is engaged to Ferreira’s son, Dennis. “Whatever we don’t give to family and friends, I sell through my business. I know there are a lot health benefits of honey for allergies and people go crazy for it.”

Along with the honey, Hodle also melts down the wax from the hive to use in her products. She is launching a lip balm product made from the wax.

Hodle started her business about five years ago when she lost about 32 pounds using a pollen natural supplement.

“This caught a lot of people’s attention and everyone was asking me how I did it,” Hodle said.

Hodle also is very invested in what she sells because Dennis is a two-time stomach cancer survivor. With that in mind, she implements her herbal and natural remedies because she finds many more benefits to it.

To learn more about Naturally Helpful Market visit NaturallyHelpfulMarketplace.com or email info@naturallyhelpful.com or Facebookor Instagramor Pinterest.

(Image and video by Valerie Hodle)

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