Our Story

It's all for the love of bees.

We, John & Jen Lair, bonded through our love for honeybees, gardening, and caring for children & animals. We are passionate about organic farming and eating healthy foods.

Since 2015 we have been creating delicious meals together from what we grow in the tropical environment of the Big Island, Hawaii.

We are dedicated to growing food, providing pure honey & hive products, and being healthy role models for our children.

We are here to do our part to make the world a better place for the future generations.

Guided by the bees and committed to providing healthy organic meals to our community, we look forward to sharing Island Organic Cuisine with you!

Jen Rasmussen Lair

Bee Guardian, Chef, Educator, Author, &

Pollinator Protector

I started Paradise Nectar Apiaries in 2008 on the east side of the Big Island, Hawaii. At first, I was interested in beekeeping as a way to have fresh healthy honey for my family. As a mother of young children I was focused on living a sustainable life.

We lived in harmony with nature in a very simple way as my children and my beekeeping business grew. We grew and harvested our food, I worked for my rent and food, and I spent my days with my children homeschooling and teaching them how to work with bees and the products that they share with us, like making candles, harvesting honey, making value-added products, and more.

It was then that I started to enjoy cooking. I truly love the connection between growing-harvesting-preparing-cooking-eating our food. Being part of the process that nourishes us shows me how important it is for our health & wellbeing.

I have gone through many transformations in my journey with bees & motherhood, from lava flows covering our land, building new homesteads, getting married, and starting new businesses.

I believe that we create our reality, so I am working diligently now to create my paradise, so that I may grow wiser enjoying the sweet nectar of life with my bees, animals, and family.

I believe that we are here for a purpose. Bees have guided my path to open my eyes to many aspects of what it means to be their keeper. I spend my days sharing my wisdom through classes, and workshops, tending to my bees, raising my daughter who is now 17 and appreciating the amazing job we did as parents to see our 20 year old son blossom into a man. My purpose has always been so clear since I had my son. I am here to guide people into a healthy way of connecting with our food, the land, animals, insects, water, and each other. Through guided experiences with bees and food we begin to connect easier, heal deeper, and find balance around us. our energy becomes focused as our minds & hearts open and even if for that one moment, we experience unity. If you desire a deeper connection with your food, nature, self, and others please contact me to learn more about our upcoming offerings.

Pollinator Protectors

Join us in our conservation efforts for pollinators!

In 2019 I began to see unmistakable signs of herbicide contamination in bee hives around the Big Island.

After years of research and documentation I learned what to look for and ways to help bees stay healthy.

The #1 way that everyone can help pollinators is

to plant organic seeds or starts.

Bees need clean air, food, water, and shelter to survive.

What ails them is a reflection of what is in their environment.

By growing food for pollinators and people we can do our part to reset balance and harmony in nature.

Birds, bees, butterflies, dragonflies, people, and many other creatures depend on pollen and nectar bearing plants.

Without our precious pollinators we will no longer have the foods we need to sustain ourselves, and we too will get sick and die.

It is time to make a change.

It starts with you and me.

Take some seeds, plant some flowers,

and inspire others to do it, too.

Our Commitment to Health

When we designed our business we had your health in mind, which is why we bought the best cookware to make your meals with to ensure that your food is toxin-free. We have selected the highest quality equipment that is free of BPA, PFOA, PFAS, Cadmium and Lead. Our pots, pans and waffle maker are all made by GreenPan, a trusted company specializing in healthy ceramic cookware.

It is important for us to know what is in our food and where it comes from. We have researched the ingredients we use and the companies that offer them to make sure that we are serving you truly healthy organic cuisine.

We source many of our ingredients from local organic farmers including breadfruit, lilikoi puree, lemons, limes, avocados, bananas, and more. We are always looking for more farmers to share their abundance so we can offer as many local ingredients as possible.

From our family and farm to you, we bring you purely organic meals with options for every dietary preference.

We look forward to providing you with catering or private chef services, beekeeping education, cooking classes, meal packages, farm-to-table meals, honey-based sauces & dressings, and more!