Thank you for your interest in our honey! I started keeping bees in the spring of 1981 before parasitic mites and much of the stress bees face today. Over the last two decades the focus of this apiary has been on raising honeybees adapted to a changing northeastern climate and the ability to survive without reliance on the (too many) medications used by the industry today. Our honey is unheated (raw) and filtered by allowing gravity to separate out any large bits of wax and other small particles. All the enzymes, vitamins, and phytonutrients are left intact. This area of the Champlain Valley has proven in most years to provide the bees with a variety of pollen and nectar sources over the season. Though each year is a little bit different, the varied plants that produce a honey crop can include basswood (linden), honeysuckle, locust, sumac, various clovers, bird foot trefoil, vetch, golden rod, Japanese knotweed and asters. Every harvest has been delicious.
As mentioned above, the overall goal of this "treatment free" apiary is to help move the bees towards a more hardy and disease resistant population well equipped to thrive in the foothills of the Adirondacks. In addition to producing minimally processed raw honey I raise queens from the best producing colonies that have survived at least 2 winters. Some of these queens are for sale to interested beekeepers. I am truly grateful for having the opportunity to work with and learn so much from my bees as each spring brings renewed excitement of another beekeeping year.