Product Details
We offer freshly-extracted, pure, raw honey from one of eight hives we tend on our farm. Our hives sit alongside 40 acres of blissfully scented alfalfa pasture. The nectar from all those flowers produces mild flavored honey with hints of grass and vanilla. At harvest time, we notice our honey has a distinct lime green hue that ages to a light amber color.
Our honey will be mailed to you in a clear liquid state, however, crystallization is a normal occurrence. Keep your honey in a warm spot in your kitchen to prevent it from hardening. Cupboards tend to be cooler and will speed up the process. Crystallized honey can be made liquid again in a hot water bath.
We started keeping bees to introduce my (then 10-year-old) son to the hardiness of cultivating such a product that can sweeten your dish and remedy many ailments. Also, to teach stewardship of the dying pollinating populations. Many bee stings and harvest disappointments later, we do not take honey, nor the bees that make honey, nor the forage region where honey bees roam, lightly.
Why raw honey?
Raw honey comes straight from the honey comb without heat treatment or additives. It is most delicious and retains the medicinal properties. Pasteurization kills beneficial enzymes, antioxidants, and rids the honey of nutritious pollen. Raw honey is antimicrobial and antibacterial, making it effective for treating wounds and infections. It also contains over 30 different polyphenols, 22 amino acids, and many vitamins and minerals.
Background Info
Honey bees in our region, and across much of the world, suffer from the Varroa Mite parasite that causes many colonies to die out each year. That means new bee families must be purchased and re-established every spring. This is a high cost to the beekeeper, both financially and emotionally. Tending the hive throughout the season, only to have it die entirely when fall (or sooner) comes is discouraging! Add to the parasite problem, the numerous other, fatalities that occur as a result of conventional farming and homeowner practices. Herbicides, pesticides, genetically-modified plants, and eradication of bee pollinating habitats.
So you see, it is not easy bringing pure, high-quality honey to the market. We aim to keep working at it!
What’s your favorite honey dish? Do you use it medicinally?