'Bees are a mission': Beekeeping farm helps veterans find purpose after military service

'Bees are a mission': Beekeeping farm helps veterans find purpose after military service Veterans are swapping uniforms for bee suits at an Oklahoma farm, where a beekeeping program is helping them refocus after service. Advertisement Updated: 11:02 AM EST Nov 7, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Addison Kliewer Special Projects Producer/Digital Editor 'Bees are a mission': Beekeeping farm helps veterans find purpose after military service Veterans are swapping uniforms for bee suits at an Oklahoma farm, where a beekeeping program is helping them refocus after service. Updated: 11:02 AM EST Nov 7, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Addison Kliewer Special Projects Producer/Digital Editor For many veterans, leaving the military can mean leaving behind a purpose, but a farm in Oklahoma is helping them find a new one — thanks to bees. Veterans are trading their military uniforms for bee suits at Warriors to Bees as they learn how to become beekeepers, helping them find purpose after service. Advertisement "Most people say, 'That's crazy. Four thousand bees are coming out at you, how could that be peaceful or relaxing?'" said Steve Easom with Easom Farms. "Veterans are mission-oriented, and bees are a mission." 98-year-old twin Army veterans reunite after years apart in hospice care Veterans from across the country come to Easom Farms in Slaughterville, Oklahoma, where they stay for a free nine-month beekeeping program. They first learn in a classroom before doing it for real. "We use our land to work with veterans to help them refocus and gain a new purpose," Easom said. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Easom made it his mission to help fellow veterans find theirs. "When you come out, there is a void, and if we don't work hard to figure out how to fill that void," Easom said, "there becomes challenges." 'Meta, what am I looking at?': Veterans with vision loss get free AI-powered glasses There is a bee therapy house on the farm, and inside, there are two beds with bees directly below them. Veterans come to lie down and listen to the buzz. "We have all the hives. Three hives on the right, three on the left, and these hives are mic'd so we can adjust the volume of the buzz," Easom said. "Usually, they will come for about a one-hour session and spend time listening to the frequency of the bees. If you Google research, there is some scientific medical research behind the actual frequency in helping people kind of refocus." For Easom, success isn't measured in honey. It is measured in the lives touched. "Since 2018, we have trained 556. This year, we will graduate another 60 through the program Warriors to Bees, and not one has committed suicide. We give all the glory to God, number one. Number two, to the bees, and we just get to be a part of it," Easom said. Make WGAL a preferred source on Google Add Preferred Source Share Infinite Scroll Enabled Top Picks High school band member stunned as 'Thunderstruck' performance goes viral Defense attorney for man convicted in Tupac murder trial found dead in Las Vegas Watch: Giant pandas make much-anticipated debut at Zoo Atlanta 19-year-old to become one of Massachusetts' youngest representatives in state history