Did You Know?
Crystallization of honey is the natural process in which the liquid honey becomes solid. How soon crystallization occurs depends on the ratio of glucose and the water content. To dissolve the crystals simply place the jar of honey in lukewarm water for couple of hours and stir. The quality of honey will not be affected.

Help Honey Bees!

Organic gardening methods use nature to combat pests and illnesses and focus on building healthy plants through well-maintained soil. Insecticides kill honey bees and bees just as easily as they kill pests and predators. Avoid all chemical insecticides. Try companion planting, such as using marigolds around tomatoes, or insect traps like Japanese beetle traps to capture insects or repel them rather than dousing your garden in commercial sprays.

Plant flowers, herbs and shrubs that bees enjoy. Herb gardening methods that encourage honey bee health include planting herbs that bees enjoy. Any member of the mint or basil family are loved by bees, as well as cilantro, thyme and rosemary. Lavender and Echinacea are also enjoyed both bees and people alike. Not only will you encourage healthy bee colonies by herb gardening, you'll reap the health benefits too by enjoying your herbs. Plus you can cook with them!



Facts About Honey

Honey JarHoney is created in a natural process by honey bees from the nectar of various flowers. Raw honey (not processed with heat) contains proteins from pollen from the plants the bees have visited, maltose sucrose and other complex carbohydrates. Honey also contains several vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other compounds thought to function as antioxidants. Raw honey contains some pollen and may contain small particles of wax. Local raw honey is sought after by allergy sufferers as the local pollen particles are thought to lessen the sensitivity to hay fever and pollen allergies.

Floral Varieties of Honey

Since our apiaries are located far away from intensive agricultural fields using harsh chemicals (pesticides, herbicides etc.) our honey bees gather their nectar from various wild flowers, flowering trees and shrubs.

Organic Honey

Organic honey is honey produced, processed, and packaged in accordance with recommended organic beekeeping guidelines. Organic honey must come from organically managed bees. The bees may not be treated with antibiotics, sulfa compounds and other medications that do not exist naturally and could be present in honey otherwise. Organic honey must be produced from naturally foraging bee colonies that are located away from any source that could cause the honey to contain pesticides or herbicides. All hive parts must be made of wood and other natural materials.

Raw Honey Processing

Raw honey is honey as it exists in the beehive or as obtained by extraction, settling and course straining without heat processing and without adding any other additives.

Medical Benefits of Honey

HoneybeeFor at least 2700 years, honey has been used to treat a variety of ailments through topical application, but only recently have the antiseptic and antibacterial properties of honey been chemically explained. Wound Gels that contain antibacterial honey and have regulatory approval for wound care are now available to help conventional medicine in the battle against drug resistant strains of bacteria MRSA. As an antimicrobial agent honey may have the potential for treating a variety of ailments. Honey has also been used as a treatment for sore throats and coughs for centuries and according to recent research may in fact be more effective than most common medicines. Honey also contains a variety of flavonoids and phenoleic acids that act as antioxidants, scavenging and eliminating free radicals. It has been hypothesized that consuming more antioxidants-rich foods may protect against cellular damage and possibly prevent the development of chronic diseases.

Nutritional Benefits of Honey

Fueling exercise with honey: It is well known that carbohydrate ingestion prior to, during and after exercise enhances athletic performance and speeds recovery. Since honey is a natural source of carbohydrates it may serve as an inexpensive alternative to sport gels. When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin substituting honey for up to the half of the sugar called for in the recipe. Honey may also be used in canning, making pies and jellies.

Processed Honey

Honey processed using high temperatures and straining is losing its medicinal, antibacterial, properties and nutritional values by destroying enzymes, vitamins and proteins. Processed honey is then reduced from a rich wholesome natural product to an ordinary sweetener.

About the Beekeeping Industry

Honeycomb80% of millions of acres of fruits, vegetables, and oilseed and legume seeds crops depend on insect pollination, including honey bees. The almond crop is entirely dependent on honey bee pollination. The production of most beef and dairy products consumed in US is dependent on insect-pollinated legumes as alfalfa, clover etc. Vast majority of beekeepers (about 95 %) are hobbyist, about 4% are part time beekeepers and remaining one percent are commercial beekeepers.