A John Deere Publication
Sylvain Thibodeau has been fascinated by bees all his life. At age 50 he decided it was time to revisit his childhood passion. He enrolled in a short apiary course and purchased 10 hives. The decision changed his life.
Specialty/Niche April 01, 2026
A Taste of Honey
Childhood dream turns into something more.
Story and Photos by Lorne McClinton
Sometimes you need to reinvent yourself to find happiness. Sylvain Thibodeau is a master at it. The Sainte-Sabine, Quebec, farmer might still have been happily running his dairy, but a deadly toxin devastated his herd in 2006. Dispirited, he decided to step away from livestock entirely. He sold his dairy quota, picked up a hammer, and partnered with his brother in the construction industry for a decade. Growing field crops on the side kept him connected to the land, but he wanted something more.
So, at age 50, Sylvain set off on a new path. He enrolled in a short apiary (beekeeping) course and bought 10 hives to indulge his childhood passion for beekeeping. He thought he was getting an early start on a retirement hobby. He never dreamed it was launching him into the next stage of his life. Surprisingly, it helped his son Kevin's dream come true, too.
"I've been obsessed with bees since I was 12," Sylvain said. "I always said that one day I was going to have some." To this day, opening up a hive lights up his face.
But hauling supers (hive boxes) that can weigh up to 80 pounds isn't something that gets easier with age. So, he asked his son Kevin to lend him a hand. He was happy to help, although he didn't share his father's passion for bees.
Above. Their hours are long and the workload can be intense. Kevin says they are now pushing the limits of what the two of them can manage by themselves. They generate most of their income through pollination contracts. The father and son team sell their honey production to a larger producer.
Beekeeping clicked. Everything changed when Kevin took a technical agriculture course in high school and lined up a beekeeping internship as a final project. It checked all his boxes; outdoors, hands-on, and challenging. Plus the numbers looked great and he was good at it.
After completing his internship Kevin found a beekeeper to mentor him. It wasn't long before his father's ten-hive hobby had become the foundation for a thriving apiary business.
Father and son incorporated as Trésor de Miel in 2020; that's when the hard work began.
Even the winter offseason doesn't offer much of a break. The Thibodeaus keep busy maintaining their equipment so it's in good condition before the relentless spring rush kicks off.
They worked hard to grow their business for their first few years. They sold their honey to a larger producer but made most of their income through pollination contracts. Year three was supposed to have been their breakthrough year, but disaster struck. Varroa mites wiped out roughly 97% of their hives in the fall.
"That was tough," Kevin said. "But we didn't give up."
This year, six seasons in, they're finally back on track. The business has nearly 250 large hives plus 140 nucs (miniature hives). Blueberry pollination in Quebec's Lac Saint-Jean region, a half day drive away, provides their biggest revenue stream.
Early‑spring apple pollination near Frehligsburg is easier to access, but it yields lower profits. However, it helps their colonies regain strength after the winter. They still sell their honey in bulk to larger producers.
Sylvain's hobby has now grown beyond all recognition. It keeps him so busy he can barely find time to squeeze in a fishing trip.
"If you'd called a month ago, I wouldn't have had time for an interview," Sylvain says. But he's not complaining. "I love playing in the hives, it's enjoyable work, even when we're tired."
Kevin feels the same way. Beekeeping gave him the entry into farming he'd been searching for.
"I always wanted to farm but I had no interest in milking cows twice a day," Kevin says. "Bees for me are the right kind of farming." The work is heavy, even frantic at times, but he finds it's work he enjoys and excels at.
Their father-and-son partnership is working well but Kevin says they are pushing the upper limits of what two people alone can manage. Eventually they may have to choose between their dream of building a honey retail business, adding more hives, or expanding nuc production.
"It's a lot of work but it's enjoyable," Sylvain says. "I'm 60, and I'm happy doing this. If there's another hour to do it, I'll do it."
Sylvain's retirement plans have been postponed indefinitely. ‡
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