Oklahoma Beekeeping Program Trains Veterans for Work
Oklahoma employers can view the free nine-month program as a skills pipeline, while enrollment figures lack reported job-placement data.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Military Jobs
Live Poll
Should your community fund programs that help veterans find purpose after service?
Warriors to Bees, a free nine-month beekeeping program for veterans, operates at Easom Farms in Slaughterville, Oklahoma, where participants learn the craft in a classroom before working with hives. The program is a fit for Oklahoma veterans and the businesses that employ them, as it targets the transition out of military service.
Why it matters
Easom, a former U.S. Air Force member, built the program around the idea that leaving the military creates a void that veterans need help filling with purpose. For Oklahoma employers, it is a reminder that structured, skills-based programs can serve as a pathway for veterans seeking civilian work and new trades.
Warriors to Bees has trained 556 veterans since 2018 and expects to graduate 60 more this year. The program runs nine months and is free to participants.
The players
Warriors to Bees
A free nine-month beekeeping program for veterans operating at Easom Farms in Slaughterville, Oklahoma.
Easom Farms
The Slaughterville, Oklahoma farm that hosts the Warriors to Bees program and its bee therapy house.
Steve Easom
A former U.S. Air Force member who founded the program to help fellow veterans find purpose after military service.
The details
Veterans first learn beekeeping in a classroom before working directly with bees. Sessions in the bee therapy house, which has two beds positioned above three hives on each side, typically last about one hour. The hives are microphoned so the buzz volume can be adjusted, and participants from across the country travel to Easom Farms to take part.
Timeline
Warriors to Bees has trained veterans since 2018.
This year, the program expects to graduate another 60 veterans.
Market Landscape
Skills-based training programs for veterans are a recognized route into civilian work, and this program adds an agricultural trade to that set. Its scale, at 556 veterans trained since 2018, is reported by the operator and has not been compared with other programs in the source.
Oklahoma employers hiring for skilled trades or agricultural roles may find veterans with hands-on training from programs like this one. Operators should verify any program's completion and placement claims directly with the provider before factoring them into hiring plans.
The takeaway
Operators hiring in Oklahoma can treat structured veteran training programs as a possible talent pipeline for skilled work. Before relying on one, request the provider's completion and placement data, since the source reports enrollment totals but not job outcomes.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Military Jobs across our Oklahoma edition.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOCO.
Live Poll
Should your community fund programs that help veterans find purpose after service?
