As property taxes rise, Texans turn to bees to find savings

Whenever he’s not working as an EMT, you’ll find Jason Smith tending to his hives.

Smith is a third-generation beekeeper.

“My granddad grew up, they were really poor,” he said. “It started as a way for them to have honey that they could eat and or sell at that time.”

Smith grew up around hives. He said his dad carried on the tradition.

Years later, he started working alongside his own sons simply to help his Parker County garden grow.

But thanks to a 2012 law that qualified beekeeping for an agricultural exemption on property taxes, Smith found his honeybees also saved him close to $5,000 a year.

Soon, friends were asking him to help them do the same. And before long, JC’s Honey Bees was born.

“You pay me, say, $2,000 a year to save yourself $6,000 or $8,000 a year, and my footprint on your property is small. You just have to be OK with some red neck showing up on your property once a month, tending to the bees and leaving,” he said.

Today, Smith manages about 85 properties.

“We go as far west as Palo Pinto Lake. As far east as Eagle Mountain Lake, all the way down to Lake Granbury in the south and then north, we stop around 114 in Wise County,” said Smith.

According to the most recent Census of Agriculture in 2022, there were about 9,000 bee farms in Texas. That’s more than any other state. It’s more than the 21 lowest states combined.

It’s also a number that’s more than quadrupled since the 2012 law took effect.

“It just exploded. It has grown so much and so fast. There are times I think, OK, this can’t get any bigger, any larger, and it does,” he said.

The exemption isn’t an option for every Texas homeowner. The law requires at least five acres. Each county sets its own requirements for the number of hives, which is usually at least six.

Despite the number of people taking advantage of the money-saving hack, those most passionate about bees say it’s not the only reason beekeeping is booming.

Across the metroplex in Dallas at Mount St. Michael Catholic School, the Oak Cliff Bee Company runs an apiary that’s focused on teaching city kids a new skill.  

“We got started as a way to pay for the farm program here at the school,” said owner Chris Chance.

Chance founded his company in 2023.

With the help of beekeepers like Shannon LaGrave, Oak Cliff Bee Company expanded into corporate hive management.

So far, they’ve placed colonies at 30 businesses around Dallas, most in unexpected places like Uptown high-rises and parking garages.

They even hired a local artist to give the boxes a little extra flair.

“The thing that we’re finding is that businesses are trying to find a way to show tenants, show customers and show their stakeholders that they’re concerned about sustainability,” said Chance.

It comes as beekeepers face drastic colony declines due to a combination of stressors like mite infestations and viruses. Making the growing interest, no matter the motivation, more important than ever.

“Overall, bees represent, you know, every third bite of food is the result of a pollinator. So if we’re doing what we can to help save the bees, we’re helping to save our food supply,” he said.