Red, White and Blue Hives

Finding Purpose in the Apiary

By: Daniel Acevedo, Valor Honey

The military rank structure is essential for good order and discipline. However, the bees do not care about any of that. They do not recognize rank, past injuries, or what someone did before they showed up at the apiary.

The bees respond to presence, consistency, and respect. These are values that veterans already understand. For Veterans, their families, and community members stepping into beekeeping for the first time, that reality becomes both grounding and transformative.

Who We Are
Valor Honey is a nonprofit organization established by Gary LaGrange to support veterans, service members, their families, and the community through purpose-driven beekeeping training. Through hands-on instruction in apiculture and honey production, we help individuals build practical skills while creating a pathway toward continued education, mentorship, and, for some, long-term involvement in the beekeeping industry.

Operating as a nonprofit means resources are limited, and much of what we do depends on donations alongside a portion of our sales. Because of that, stewardship matters. Everything we invest in must directly support the veterans, families, and community members we serve through training, equipment, or continued education. Much like beekeeping, it requires discipline, prioritization, and a clear focus on what truly moves the mission forward.

This year alone, we have trained well over 100 individuals through our programs, including apprentice-level courses at the Soldier Recovery Unit and Bee Boot Camp sessions. Many of those participants have continued their development through partner programs, building on what they started and taking it further.

There is no single path in this program. That is where its strength lies. Some come to learn about bees and find that it is all they need. Others see a future in it, whether as a business or a long-term pursuit, and for many, it becomes a way to step back from daily stress, slow down, and regain focus. Our role is to meet the Veterans, their families, and community members where they are, help them build a strong foundation, guide them forward, and surround them with a community grounded in mentorship, trust, and shared purpose.

My Drive
I came into this through the Soldier Recovery Unit in mid-2025, when Valor Honey brought its apprentice-level training program to Fort Riley. At the time, I had no plans to get into beekeeping. I took the course simply because it was available and it seemed interesting, another skill to learn.

But it did not take long to realize it was more than that. What stood out was not just the bees. It was the impact on the people working with them. I watched individuals step into beekeeping and quickly find something they did not realize they were missing. For some, it helped them slow down. For others, it gave them a way to reconnect and focus. In many cases, it helped them shift direction and find purpose again.

That experience was not unique to one person. It is something we see repeatedly at Valor Honey.

Immersion
When someone is working a hive, everything else fades out. They are focused, present, and paying attention to what is in front of them, every movement and every behavior. They are making deliberate decisions based on what the colony needs. That level of attention creates a kind of stillness that is difficult to find anywhere else.

That is where the real value of this work shows itself. Beekeeping itself reinforces those same principles. There are no shortcuts in the hive. You learn patience. You learn to observe before acting. You learn that mistakes happen and that recovery depends on how you respond. Those lessons carry over well beyond the apiary.

More importantly, the hive provides something that is hard to replicate elsewhere. It creates a space where veterans can feel in control while remaining open to their experiences. They are present, aware of their thoughts and emotions, but not consumed by them.

For individuals dealing with both seen and unseen injuries, not just veterans but also farmers and others under constant pressure, it creates a space where they can step away, focus, and reset. It gives them something real to engage with, something that demands attention but also gives something back.

The red, white, and blue hives represent that connection between service, community, and continued purpose. They are a reminder that the mission does not end when the uniform comes off. It simply evolves.

At its core, this work is not about honey production. Honey is a means to an end, and that end is building something sustainable for individuals, for families, and for the broader community. We are veterans serving veterans and the community, and through our honey sales and donations, we fund and grow these programs.

At the center of it all are the bees. They do not ask for anything beyond what they need, but in return, they provide something meaningful. By working with them, people develop discipline, patience, and resilience, while finding a space to slow down, refocus, and reconnect with themselves and those around them in ways that carry far beyond the apiary.

Daniel Acevedo is a retired U.S. Army veteran with over 21 years of active service and a background as a Blackhawk helicopter maintainer. He holds a degree in Human Resource Management and serves as CEO of Valor Honey. He is a husband, father of three, and originally from Florida.