About Us

Ashley Farrell and Barnaby Draper started with one hive on the Mesa in Santa Barbara. Their connection to the bees, the bee cause and the critical role they play in nature was deep and immediate. Long before the first honey harvest, observing the bees daily activities is not only fascinating but also very soothing. The tie ins to nature, to what is in bloom, become very apparent as bees with various colored "pollen pants" land on their front porch and walk into the hive.

The bees led to honey and beeswax, naturally, but also to the amazing natural products that can be made with those incredible ingredients which led to Santa Barbara Hives, our stores and our focus on sustainability while making products that are better for you and better for the planet. 

The bees spend much of their day head first in flowers and we also enjoy all those aromas so we make custom scents available in soy candles, diffusers, body oils and room sprays.

Santa Barbara Hives stores are located in Carpinteria (516 Palm Ave, just before the State Campground) and on Upper State St. (3328 State St.). Our Carpinteria location has a new kitchen with plant based foods, organic coffee, pastries, salads, sandwiches, vegan cheesecake and much more.

We host workshops at our State St. location on topics from beekeeping to gardening, crafting and more. Come see us!  

Thank you for supporting the bees!