Happy Bee is the passion project of John and Sascha Wooding of CloudWood Farm in Jiggi, NSW.
Late-blooming bee lovers, they’ve built thriving apiaries on their own land and are growing a network of mentor hives and partner sites across the Northern Rivers region — all dedicated to sourcing and supplying raw, unprocessed products straight from the hinterland.

Their approach blends time-honoured traditions with modern practices that support our increasingly vulnerable bees. For John, beekeeping began with a simple philosophy: talk to the bees.

This phrase comes from an old European folk tradition where beekeepers would whisper major life events — births, deaths, marriages — to their hives, believing bees to be deeply connected to the household’s fate. Neglecting to do so was thought to bring misfortune or loss. The idea reflects a deep, spiritual reverence for bees — as companions, witnesses, and quiet keepers of the human story.

Today, “tell it to the bees” resonates on a different level. For many, sitting among hives — surrounded by the steady hum of bees — offers a kind of quiet therapy. The rhythm of the apiary draws you back into the present, easing anxious thoughts and offering perspective. For John and Sascha, this connection to the bees, the land, and each other is at the heart of Byron Raw: raw products with real flavour, made with reverence for the old ways, and a deep love for this place we call home.