ST. CLOUD, Fla. — Florida is filled with sweeping pastures and the typical inhabitants that roam them, but out among the plains and pastures, you can also find a different kind of farmer — one that dabbles in a smaller species. 

Robert Crisp, a beekeeper in Osceola County, works at local farms, sharing his tens of thousands of bees to help pollinate fruits and flowers on those farms.

He has a history of beekeeping in his family and is the fourth generation of beekeepers.

“My uncle and father had about 1,000 hives, and their father — my grandfather — had bees, and my great-grandfather had bees, so we've had bees in our family since the 1920s." 

Crisp started beekeeping at a young age, but he didn't officially take on the family business until about a decade ago. 

“I started doing this when I was a little boy with my father," Crisp said. 

The move was ambitious because he's a Marine Corps combat veteran and a full-time employee with the Kissimmee Utility Authority.

Although it’s a lot to juggle, he said he knew the area needed more of what he could offer. 

“I started this back up about 10 years ago because it was harder to find good honey around here," Crisp said. 

So, he reopened the family business as 3Beez Honey Farm and kept the tradition alive.

While the beekeeping business goes back 100 years in the Crisp family, Robert has expanded it. He opened a retail shop in an historic and quaint building in the heart of downtown St. Cloud, 3Beez Honey Store. 

The shop offers a variety of products — from honey and soaps to lotions and other products — all of it produced in-house by his team that is as close as family.

Crisp also offers people a chance to get behind the scenes to see how the business operates. Visitors can interact with bees, see the bottling process and even taste their own fresh samples. 

The St. Cloud shop offers its tours and classes upon request. For more information, visit the business’ website.