Nephi Ephraim Miller started his honey business in Providence, Utah in 1894. With the help of his pioneer father, Nephi exchanged five bags of oats for seven colonies of bees. The Idaho office of Miller's Honey Farms, Inc. was established in 1917, when N.E. Miller sent his son Earl into Southeast Idaho to seek additional bee pasture. In 1954, Earl's son, Neil took over the Idaho branch. Earl moved to Colton, California to join his brother Woodrow in the honey packing business. Neil operated the Blackfoot outfit until 1996. In 1996, he sold the outfit to his son John Miller. In 1970, Miller Honey Farms opened a new branch in Gackle, North Dakota. Our family business has grown considerably and is now one of the largest beekeeping outfits in North America. John Miller has managed or owned this operation since 1980. The Gackle operation annually harvests over a million pounds of high quality honey for markets in the Eastern United States. In 1974, Miller Honey Farms opened a new branch in Newcastle, California. Population growth in the San Bernardino area of Southern California made it difficult to keep bees. A new industry, the almond industry was just emerging in California. Almond trees require honey bees to pollinate the crop. Due to population growth in Northern California it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep bees in the region. Honeybees Pollinate U.S. Honey. John Miller
