Bees are the Original Organic Farmers

We have no control over where bees go: a honey hive is placed around blossoms and we get what the bees can reach within a 2 km radius. There's no way to guarantee that any honey is certified organic or regenerative, other than placing them on a specific farm and hoping for the best.

But bees are total snobs. Luckily for us, they avoid plants that have chemicals on them. That makes them the original organic farmers, creating liquid sunshine from no-spray plants. If the humble bee decided to say “no thanks” to sprayed plants from day one, maybe they figured something out long before we did – that pesticides and herbicides are not good for you. 

The honey we source at The Honest Farmer is from Chilliwack River Valley Natural Honey from their Wildflower blend, We love them because their honey is kosher and unpasteurised. After extraction, the honey is warmed just until it's runny enough to go through a filter.

In the words of co-owner Ryan, "We just take out the wings and bee butts." 

Then it's jarred up with no expiration date. Why? Because unpasteurized honey retains its all-natural antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties (also why it soothes a sore throat!). 

As long as you keep butter, crumbs, moisture, and other cross-contaminants out of your honey pot, this honey will keep on keeping on. 

But these properties also help human health. Raw honey has long been used as a traditional remedy for wound healing, mental alertness, and a strong immune system. It contains beneficial prebiotics, which nourish the healthy bacteria in your gut that aids in digestion. Honey’s nutritional content varies by where the bees found their pollen, but many honeys contain calcium, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, and too many to list here!

If you know of a regenerative farm that incorporates beekeeping in their practice, please let us know! We'd love to hear more stories about how full-cycle farming can include nurturing our pollinators.