Local honey is a staple that can be found in just about every household. Some use it as a sugar substitute in teas while others cook with it due to its sweet flavor. Honey also includes a vast array of products with health benefits.
According to an article in DailyHistory.org, the earliest use of honey traces back to Spain about 8,000 to 9,000 years ago. But, it is expected that that humans consumed honey well before that and it is believed that the Neanderthals gathered it as a part of their diet.
Honey Products Available on the Market
These days consuming honey is common, but many don’t know about the types of honey products that are available. In Black Forest, Honey Tea and Me is a gift shop that specializes in making different types of products with locally sourced honey. The store also carries more than 200 loose-leaf teas.
According to shop owner Shawndel Sievert (also known as the Colorado Honey Lady), many people are amazed at the array of products available. “We do a whole line of chocolate honeys and many people say, ‘I have never heard of that,’ and it is actually amazing,” Sievert said. “We have a salted caramel honey that once you try it you’re addicted. And then we carry several different creamed honeys. We are about to bring back our fall line with our pumpkin spice creamed honey. And I already got an order of 12 from one lady.”
Honey Tea and Me started out as a small business that sold at local farmer’s markets. Now they have a store front located at 6755 Shoup Road in Black Forest and they sell on their website at coloradohoneylady.com.
They plan on opening a sit-down tea shop next door to their store in October. People can also go to Colorado Honey Lady to find out which locals farmers’ markets they will be at.
Why Consume Local Honey?
One of the major advantages of consuming honey that is locally harvested is the way it is supposed to help with allergies. According to local beekeeper Lazarus Fields, the closer to a person that the honey is produced the better it will be in reducing allergies.
“The further you go out from your state for honey the less effective it will be from preventing allergies,” Fields said. “The reason why that works is because the flower’s nectar and pollen is what causes allergies to go crazy. So if you find honey from the areas that have the same flowers and nectar and pollen that’s getting your allergies going, part of that plant and the pollen particles are in that honey. So instead of the particles harming you, the honey will make you less allergic to the pollen in the area that you are in.”
When asked how many times he had been stung as a beekeeper, Fields replied, “A day?” “Fairly regularly, it’s part of the trade unfortunately,” the beekeeper said. “Some people use stings for things that ail them like arthritis or Lyme disease. Some people are actually looking to get stung.”
Sievert also agreed that honey can be used for a variety of things. “Honey definitely helps with local allergies,” the Colorado Honey Lady said. “Honey is anti-everything. It’s anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-microbial. We don’t even use Neosporin in our house when you get a cut we put raw honey on it.”
Beekeeping as a Hobby and Career
Fields first started getting into beekeeping when he got interested in homesteading several years ago. He is now the swarm coordinator for the Pikes Peak Beekeeper Association (PPBA).
If anyone finds a bee swarm somewhere outdoors, Fields will come out and contain the swarm and then give it to a member in the club that wants to add it to their beekeeping setup. Fields also owns a business where he removes bees from structures and has over 50 hives himself.
According to Fields, ever since the pandemic struck, the interest for beekeeping as a business and hobby has skyrocketed. Fields said that the best way to start beekeeping is to first join a local club such as the PPBA that has several resources.
He said that it is wise for those interested in beekeeping to talk to people in the club and see what kind of setup will work best for them. Once they decide on a setup style, equipment can be purchased locally at Rocky Mountain Bee Supply or Buckley’s Homestead Supply.
Then after the desired equipment is purchased, the new beekeeper will then need to get bees. “Most people order their bees believe it or not,” Fields said. “And that is a whole decision too because you can buy a package of bees, or you can buy a nucleus colony, which is an already functioning hive. The queen is starting to lay eggs and they already have workers. It is just a smaller version of a hive that you can transfer to your own equipment.”
However, Fields said that making the transition from beekeeping as a hobby to making a living doing it is not easy. He said that he is currently in the “sideliner” stage where he still works a normal job and does beekeeping as a business but not a full time business.
“To my knowledge a lot of those who own beekeeping businesses that have pollination contracts and run 5,000 hives and such, it has been family generated,” Fields said. “It has been generations in the family that they have been doing it and you are kind of born into it in that aspect. I don’t see too many up and coming just start out businesses. You can’t go from zero to 100 or zero to 100,000 hives without years of learning, experience, and knowledge.”
He said he has seen some companies go bankrupt trying to start up a major beekeeping operation. He also stated that most beekeepers (like him) start out as hobbyists and then slowly get bigger until they can make a business out of it. But, he said many quit before they can start to profit because they decide the hobby is not for them.
Beekeeping is a truly amazing hobby! And the fact that you have access to the best local honey makes it even more magical experience.
There’s so much to learn from bees. In addition to the allergies, honey and beeswax are proven to have significant health benefits, including psoriasis, eczema, not to mention the common cold.
It’s so heartwarming to read an article of beekeepers, who deeply care about bees.