Jessica Johnson’s experiences with University of Missouri Extension have been as golden as the honey she sells.
Johnson, the owner of Ladybird’s Bee Yard, participates in Extension’s Missouri Heroes to Hives program for U.S. military veterans, which aims to improve financial and personal wellness through free professional training and community development centered around beekeeping. A Marine Corps veteran, Johnson was introduced to Heroes to Hives in 2024 by MU Extension natural resources specialist Joni Harper, also a beekeeper.
Johnson learned about bees from her grandfather, Alton Gilmore, an Army Korean War-era veteran and beekeeper. When Jessica and her husband, Cory, packed up their Texas farm to move to Cory’s family farm in Stover, Missouri, her grandfather set the young couple up with their own hive. After her grandfather’s death, she obtained his hives and honey-processing equipment.
