<b>By LINDA McGURK<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b> </p><p>

ROCKVILLE, Ind. — When Steve and Pam Hauser started toying around with ideas for a business that would give them something meaningful to do in retirement, they came across the ancient art of beekeeping.<br>
The industry has been in steady decline for decades and has lately struggled with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but the Hausers, of Rockville, recognized the importance of honeybees all over the world and wanted to give it a shot.<br>
“Beekeeping has kind of become a lost art, but we wanted to try to bring it back to the kids,” said Steve.<br>
“It’s a great family hobby,” Pam added.<br>
Today, the couple leads the Sugar Creek Beekeeping Club, which boasts 32 members from Parke and neighboring counties. They also initiated a new 4-H program for beekeeping. Last year, eight children chose beekeeping as their project and learned the ropes of the industry at the Hausers’ eclectic Cozy Nest Farm.<br>
But when Steve and Pam started their apiary four years ago, they were surprised by the lack of interest in their newfound hobby. Though many people seemed to have fond memories of beekeeping, there were very few apiaries left in the area to show for it.<br>
“We find that most of the guys who are really active beekeepers today have been in it for less than 10 years. The older guys have just been beaten down,” said Steve. “With what other business do you know you’re going to lose 30 percent of your investment every year, and still stay in business?” he added, referring to the average annual loss of bees.<br>
The Hausers studied beekeeping for two years before investing in their first hive. They visited apiaries, went to beekeeping school and scoured the Internet for information – and yet, they realized they had a lot to learn when they brought home their first bees.
“The hardest part was leaving the bees alone and letting them do their thing. You’re dealing with wild animals, and the only thing a beekeeper really can do is direct the hive in a way that lets the bees do what we want them to do. We learned to stay one step ahead of the bees,” said Steve.<br>
Aside from harvesting and selling the honey produced from their 22 hives, the Hausers have developed a wide range of beeswax products that they sell at local festivals and at their farm shop five miles southwest of Rockville. Pam started to manufacture candles, soaps, lotions, lotion bars and lip balms after buying a bar of soap and a moisturizer from a beekeeper at the Indiana State Fair several years ago.<br>
“I found that my complexion really improved with the cream, so I started researching moisturizer creams and added my own little secrets to it,” she said.<br>
Pam takes pride in using only natural, vegetable-based ingredients in her moisturizers, including vitamin E and royal jelly, which she claims help combat wrinkles and give the skin a bit of a lift.<br>
“Most beekeepers use mineral oil in their products, but I don’t use anything that’s petroleum-based,” she said. “The more I read and research, the more I realize that we’re making chemical waste out of our bodies.”<br>
Among the soaps, her fragrance-free mix of 10 percent beeswax and 90 percent olive oil has been the best seller so far, but Pam also makes fragranced soaps out of shea butter.<br>
“If you don’t mind doing without the fragrance, I really recommend the olive oil and beeswax soap. The people who buy it have sensitive skin or skin disorders and they usually come back for more,” she said.<br>
Last year was a good year for Cozy Nest Farm, and Pam said renewed interest in American-made quality products may have helped spur sales.<br>
“I had a woman and her daughter come in here before Christmas, and they said they didn’t want to buy anything Chinese. They ended up buying all their Christmas gifts here,” Pam recalled.
“It’s pretty tough to sell a bar of soap for $5 … but once you try it, you won’t go back,” added Steve.