Beekeeping had provided a relaxing hobby and additional income for the Peterson family since Lawrence established his first hives in his back yard in Kewanee in 1914. It became a hobby for his son, Edwin, too, and the income it provided proved crucial in getting Martin Engineering off the ground.
The Petersons managed about 500 bee colonies for many years. Besides the hives in their back yard, they had colonies spread throughout Kewanee and Neponset, Illinois. To add variety and create the best honey flavor, several hives were located in nearby clover and alfalfa fields, where the farmers counted on the honeybees to pollinate their apple and pear trees.
During World War II, L. Peterson and Son Fine Honey was in great demand as a popular sweetener, partly because sugar was a heavily rationed commodity. The Petersons harvested honey from hives in a 20-mile radius around their home, eventually producing 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of honey annually. This high yield was due in part to Edwin’s patented invention of a specialized centrifuge and filter, which processed the honey more efficiently. After collecting the honey in jars, they sold it to area stores, making deliveries from the back of an old pickup truck. Young Ed learned early sales and marketing lessons by helping his grandfather and father sell their honey to local merchants. With the money earned through honey sales, Edwin was able to hire lawyers to help obtain patents for his early inventions. He and his wife, Dorothy, fondly called the beekeeping profits “honey money.”
As an experienced beekeeper, Edwin was completely comfortable around bees. He understood how to avoid being stung and did not mind getting stung. Edwin capitalized on that comfort level to market their honey to fair-goers at the Illinois State Fair. He would paint honey on his face and let the bees completely cover it, creating a thick, live honeybee beard. This memorable stunt helped the Petersons sell a lot of honey – and earned him the nickname “Honey Peterson.” L. Peterson and Son Fine Honey won First and Second Place ribbons at the fair for many years and earned Sweepstakes Purple several times. Their honey became so well known that the Governor of Illinois always made a point of stopping by the Peterson family’s fair booth every year to order 50 pounds of the delectable sweetener.
Edwin also served as Director, Secretary, and President of the Illinois Beekeepers’ Association and as Chairman of the Beekeepers’ Commission of Illinois. Under his leadership, a new constitution was drafted and adopted by the organization.