TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
VOICE OF THE GARDEN BY TIFFANY HORTON
I t is incredible how God uses unique life experiences to direct our paths. If we pay attention, He can lead us on the very best journey. Beekeeping has been precisely that for the founders of Balm and Honey Farm, Brin and Matt Nichols. Though it is not their full-time job, the hum in the garden has become their passion. It all started when Brin, a former news reporter in the Dallas area, covered a story on bees. “I worked for CBS News in Dallas, and I was assigned a story about the decline of bees, and it was just one of those stories that had an impact on me. Within the daily grind of the news business,” she said, “you probably forget 99% of the stories you do, but that one never really left me. As I transitioned out of that career and moved back home, I started thinking about it more.” As fifth-generation residents of Cass County, Texas, farming might not come as a total surprise to those who know them best. Still, as first-generation beekeepers, they have had to work hard to learn all they know about bees. The Nichols didn’t know any beekeepers when they got started, so they had to do a lot of research in the beginning. “I bought my first hive off of eBay around
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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