FOOD FOR THOUGHT… Honey is a more sustainable sugar source than many other sources like agave and sugar cane. Small bee hives can be placed on a farm near crops and will help pollinate and spread the crops, all the while producing sweet honey, rich with minerals and pollen from the earth. VS. clearing land, planting and watering sugar cane/agave.
With more and more people going vegan, bee keeping is an important issue to discus. Small scale bee keeping is the only true way to ensure that bees are not being taken advantage of, and harmed in the process of honey harvesting. As bee keepers, we always want to stress the difference. Large scale bee keepers, especially mainland are using bees for pollination services. This is when bee keepers load their hives on trucks and drive them to large farms to pollinate. The drive alone stresses and harms the bees. And then most times, these large farms are also using pesticides, which is the number 1 killer.
Our bees are lucky, they stay on their farm and the bee keepers plant different crops and flowers around them. Giving them a biodiversity in pollen and also the freedom to roam to whichever flower they’d like! No pesticides, and no over harvesting. We make sure the bees have plenty of honey in their hives to eat during the off months of pollen. Like anywhere, Hawaii has seasons. Pollen is not always bountiful, which means we as bee keepers have to be conscious not to take honey during these times. The bees’ well being is the number one priority and always should be! And so the term BEE-GAN should be considered. Sustainable and ethically sourced honey is a great way to support the environment and keep local farms producing and bees living!
Honey is truly a remarkable substance, made even more extraordinary by the process with which it is made. The blend of sugar, trace enzymes, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids sets honey aside from the other generic sweeteners.
Honey bees—wild and domestic—perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day. Grains are primarily pollinated by the wind, but fruits, nuts and vegetables are pollinated by bees. Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops—which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition—are pollinated by bees.
We are trying to contribute to educating the public about the importance of honey bees and the easiest way to help save the bees is:
1. Plant organic/BEE against the use of pesticides
2. Support your local bee keepers (they are the ones raising and maintaining the hives, as well as harvesting the honey. Buying honey directly from them helps the good work keep going! We support them by only buying their raw, local honey to make our slushies.
3. Get involved! Volunteer at a local apiary, learn from the professionals and start up a hive in your backyard!
Please read: http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/
Honey has been known for many home remedies-
– Can help boost your energy
– Reduce Allergy Symptoms
– Soothes sore throats
– Honey has antibacterial, and anti-fungal activities that make it ideal for treating wounds.
