Meet Mickelberry Gardens: From Backyard Bees to Bee Sting Sensitivity Solution

We're fascinated to introduce Mickelberry Gardens, the vision of husband and wife team Matt and Madelyn who started keeping bees in their Portland backyard in 2007 after taking a class on organic beekeeping with local beekeeper Glen Andresen. When Madelyn discovered she was extremely sensitive to honeybee stings, they moved their growing apiary from 7 hives to Farmer Dave's 30 acre organic farm in Troutdale, enabling Matt to expand to 20 hives while Madelyn experimented with making infused honeys, beeswax salves, and other concoctions in the kitchen—launching officially in 2011 from a single Montavilla farmer's market booth to today's staff of eleven crafting healing remedies using raw honey, propolis, beeswax, bee pollen, and medicinal plants sourced from Pacific Northwest beekeepers and farms.

The Vision of Matt and Madelyn

Mickelberry Gardens is the vision of husband and wife team, Matt and Madelyn. We started keeping bees in our backyard in Portland back in 2007, after taking a class on organic beekeeping with local beekeeper Glen Andresen.

Growing from 2 to 7 Hives

Our beekeeping outfit grew from 2 hives to 7. This expansion in their Portland backyard demonstrated their growing passion for beekeeping and commitment to organic practices.

Madelyn's Bee Sting Sensitivity Discovery

Around this time, Madelyn discovered that she was extremely sensitive to honeybee stings!! This led us to begin searching for a new home for our growing apiary.

Moving to Farmer Dave's Organic Farm

We connected with Farmer Dave in Troutdale, and moved the bees to a new home on his 30 acre organic farm so that Madelyn could once again spend time out in the garden. This new, larger space enabled Matt to increase his apiary operation, and within a year he was working with 20 hives.

Big Surplus of Honey, Beeswax, and Propolis

All these hives meant a big surplus of honey, beeswax, and propolis. Madelyn was interested in garden medicine, medicinal plants, and home remedies, so began experimenting with making infused honeys, beeswax salves, and other concoctions in the kitchen.

Kitchen Experiments and Trial and Error

After some trial and error, a few creations stood out and we began considering starting a small business based on value-added herbal products made with our own beeswax and honey.

Official Launch in 2011

We officially started our business in 2011 making our products in a commercial kitchen space in the back of a natural foods grocery, and launched with a single farmer's market booth in Portland's Montavilla neighborhood.

Hugely Positive Response

The response to our products was hugely positive! In our second year, we hired somebody to help and did 12 different farmers markets all over the city.

Expanding to Wholesale

We rented a larger kitchen space, and started selling our line wholesale to naturopathic clinics and cooperative groceries, as well as opening an online store.

Today: Healing Remedies with Pacific Northwest Ingredients

Fast forward to today: We continue to craft a variety of different healing remedies using raw honey, propolis, beeswax, bee pollen, and medicinal plants. We raise bees in several yards and farms, and work with other beekeepers and farmers to source the finest Pacific Northwest ingredients available.

Crafted in Portland, Oregon

We craft our unique honey tonics and beeswax-based skin care in Portland, Oregon. This local production ensures quality control and supports the regional economy.

February 2019: Larger Facility

In February of 2019 we moved into a larger facility with offices, more production space, and warehouse. This expansion reflected Mickelberry Gardens' continued growth and success.

Staff of Eleven Making Highest Quality

We employ a staff of eleven, and work hard every day to make the highest quality product we possibly can! This commitment to excellence drives every decision at Mickelberry Gardens.

Glen Andresen's Organic Beekeeping Class

Taking "a class on organic beekeeping with local beekeeper Glen Andresen" provided the foundational knowledge that launched Matt and Madelyn's beekeeping journey.

Extremely Sensitive to Honeybee Stings

Madelyn's discovery that she was "extremely sensitive to honeybee stings" could have ended their beekeeping dreams but instead led to creative problem-solving and business innovation.

30 Acre Organic Farm Partnership

Connecting with "Farmer Dave in Troutdale" and his "30 acre organic farm" created the perfect solution allowing both beekeeping expansion and Madelyn's garden time.

From 7 to 20 Hives in a Year

Matt's ability to grow from 7 to "20 hives" within a year on the larger property demonstrated the potential that had been constrained by backyard space.

Garden Medicine and Medicinal Plants Interest

Madelyn's interest in "garden medicine, medicinal plants, and home remedies" provided the perfect complement to Matt's beekeeping, creating synergy between their passions.

Infused Honeys and Beeswax Salves

Experimenting with "infused honeys, beeswax salves, and other concoctions" transformed surplus bee products into value-added healing remedies.

Value-Added Herbal Products

Creating "value-added herbal products made with our own beeswax and honey" ensured complete control over ingredient quality and sourcing.

Commercial Kitchen in Natural Foods Grocery

Starting in "a commercial kitchen space in the back of a natural foods grocery" provided affordable production space while connecting with their target market.

Single Montavilla Farmer's Market Booth

Launching with "a single farmer's market booth in Portland's Montavilla neighborhood" allowed direct customer feedback and grassroots brand building.

12 Different Farmers Markets

Expanding to "12 different farmers markets all over the city" in year two demonstrated strong demand and enabled rapid growth.

Naturopathic Clinics and Cooperative Groceries

Selling wholesale to "naturopathic clinics and cooperative groceries" aligned Mickelberry Gardens with health-focused retailers who understood their products' value.

Raw Honey, Propolis, Beeswax, Bee Pollen

Using "raw honey, propolis, beeswax, bee pollen, and medicinal plants" provides a comprehensive range of bee-derived healing ingredients.

Finest Pacific Northwest Ingredients

Sourcing "the finest Pacific Northwest ingredients available" ensures regional quality while supporting local beekeepers and farmers.

Unique Honey Tonics

Crafting "unique honey tonics" differentiates Mickelberry Gardens from standard honey producers by creating specialized healing formulations.

At Daily Health & Beauty, we're inspired by Matt and Madelyn's journey from 2007 Portland backyard beekeeping to solving Madelyn's bee sting sensitivity by moving to Farmer Dave's 30 acre organic farm, enabling expansion from 7 to 20 hives. Their transformation of surplus honey, beeswax, and propolis into healing remedies through Madelyn's garden medicine experiments, launching from a single 2011 Montavilla farmer's market booth to today's staff of eleven in a larger facility makes Mickelberry Gardens a perfect addition to our curated collection of Pacific Northwest artisan wellness brands.

Explore the complete Mickelberry Gardens collection and discover unique honey tonics and beeswax-based skin care crafted with raw honey, propolis, bee pollen, and medicinal plants—proving that bee sting sensitivity can lead to creating the highest quality healing remedies possible.