- Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 9, 2010
Sara Miller
Lancaster Farming Staff
LANCASTER, Pa. — Livestock and trac-
tor shows, science exhibits and tasty food
stands are often the first to come to mind in
anticipation of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
But visitors can also add honeybee products
to their list.
Among the 21 apiary exhibits at this year’s
Farm Show is that of Andy and Ashley Miller,
owners of Honeybee Creations. The Millers
will be at the Pennsylvania State Beekeep-
ers’ stand, which features their honey; honey
combs; honey candy and honey sticks; and
beeswax candles and blocks, specially de-
signed out of unique molds.
“The Pennsylvania State Farm Show is
our largest show of the year and requires the
most preparation of candles and blocks,” said
Andy.
They also sell apiary products through their
Web site as well as other online markets and
at craft shows. Other shows include the Lititz
Rotary Club Craft Fair, Hummelstown Arts
Festival, Hershey Winter Craft Show, Central
Dauphin High School Craft Fair and the West
York High School Craft Show, just to name
a few.
The Millers started making candles as
Christmas gifts in 2006. Ashley’s uncle, Stu
Mathias, a beekeeper of 44 years, helped them
get started with some blocks of beeswax and
old candle molds. Andy explained that before
they receive the beeswax, Mathias “processes
the beeswax for our use in candles and blocks
to remove any ‘beehive dirt,’ which could be
bee wings, honey, stingers and so forth, that
become part of the extraction process.”
It wasn’t long before Mathias was provid-
ing the Millers with honey and beeswax on
a regular basis. “Shortly thereafter the need
arose for someone to supply beeswax items
for the Pennsylvania State Beekeeper’s mar-
ketplace booth at the Pennsylvania State Farm
Show,” Andy said.
What began as a hobby took off as a part-
time business, and they began marketing their
candles online. They expanded the variety of
candles, as well as their creative horizons,
with new and diffe