Did you know that raw honey has many benefits? Consuming raw honey from a local source has medicinal purposes that honey from the grocery store does not!
“Bees make honey and it sure tastes good, did you ever smell a flower well is sure smells good….” This is a line from a childhood sign that keeps ringing in my head as I have been around a lot of honey these days.
When I was young we would go to a family friends house in Lake Almanor and the right of passage in their cabin was “Uncle Don” pouring honey in our mouths from the honey bear dispenser. What a way to start a trip! Another significant memory of honey was when I was in the heart of Mexico studying abroad and was struck with an unstoppable cough. The Mexican tradition to suppress a cough is mixing lime with honey and drinking it every few hours. It worked like a charm!
In 2008 when we moved to our farm in Sonoma we discovered there were bees everywhere. We had hives in many trees throughout the property and when we embarked on our remodel, we discovered the entire back wall of the house was filled with honeycomb. This was all around the time when Collony Collapse Disorder (CCD) started to unfold where beekeepers began reporting high colony losses
When I learned of the collapse of bee hive across the country, I decided it was time to do our part here at the farm to help!
Honey naturally contains nutrients and enzymes that have a variety of health benefits and medical uses. Perhaps that’s why it has been used as a folk remedy throughout history. Today, honey is still a popular food and is even used in some hospitals as a medical treatment for wounds. However, these health benefits are specific to unpasteurized honey.
Manufacturers process most of the honey you find in grocery stores. Heating the honey helps improve the color and texture, and removes any unwanted crystallization; however, many of the beneficial antioxidants and bacteria are also removed or destroyed in the process.
If you’re interested in trying raw honey, buy it from a trusted local producer. We have just received our shipment of honey from our farm! We were grateful to have the help of Stella's Dad's Honey keep our hives healthy and happy! I am ecstatic to be able to offer this honey to our community and to have played a part in the #SaveTheBees movement in our area. The honey is absolutely delicious, and we hope you will stop by the shop to pick up a jar and taste it for yourself!
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