After about two years in business, Kasey and Clint Brooks, owners of Brooks Mill Farms, closed their Midland store a few months ago. They are now set to open a new location in downtown Locust. The grand opening is at 8 a.m. on July 30.

While many farms in the area produce crops such as cotton or grain, the Brooks focus primarily on beekeeping. As such, their new store will feature raw honey, beeswax hand cream, soaps and hand lotions. The couple will also be offering staples from their Honey Bee Sweets bakery such as croissants and cinnamon rolls and items such as sunglasses and leather goods from Charlotte’s Johnny Fly store. Many of their products are also sold at Nona Louise in Locust and Rocky River Vineyards in Midland.

The couple, who live in the Ridgecrest area, decided to move to Locust to capitalize on a growing market.

“We knew the location (in Midland), although there is a lot of traffic in the area, it’s not really in a retail environment,” Clint said. “We started looking for places that would have the opportunity to feel more downtown. Although we’re losing the old general store vibe, we feel like we can bring that old school feel. in our new location.

The Locust store, inside Suite 114 at 150 Ray Kennedy Dr. next to Sogo Express, will have the same “rustic feel” customers have come to associate with the previous location, Clint said.

To honor the past, Clint and Kasey renovated the wood from the original family farmhouse and used it as a new counter.

“We’re excited to bring real agricultural elements to what our new venture will be,” Kasey said.

Clint grew up on a traditional cattle farm near NC Highway 24-27 in the easternmost part of Charlotte before his family moved to Stanly County in 2007. While attending the Stanly Community College over ten years ago, he met Kasey and learned about beekeeping. He took a course with the Stanly County Beekeepers Association and started talking to local beekeepers.

“Ninety-eight percent of my knowledge and experience in beekeeping comes from the school of hard knocks and trial and error,” Clint said.

Clint manages around 200 colonies during the summer months. A single full-size colony can contain 80,000 to 100,000 bees, he said. While Clint sells both nucs (also known as core colonies) and bee packs, he largely focuses on queen bees, which he raises and sells across the country. He recently sold several to the University of Maryland.

“So much the complexity of beekeeping, the simplicity of being in the field and enjoying the creation really puts the mind at ease and makes life fun,” he said.

The opening of the Locust store is far from the only thing Clint and Kasey are looking forward to in the coming months. The couple, who have 2-year-old son Wyatt, are also expecting their second child in August.

The store will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.