Wednesday: Where's it from?

This week we focus on honey! We could very easily go and get honey from any store and use that. But what's the fun there? Using local honey is so much better for so many reasons! 

This past spring I had the privilege of picking up FIVE GALLONS of honey to use in our products. Right now we only have a couple that use honey (the baby bath fizzies and a clay mask we make for private label), but it's good to know that we have it on hand for any special orders or future products we may carry. 

So why honey? Well, it's amazing for the skin. We use it in the baby bath fizzies because honey has natural antibacterial properties, plus it's super mild. Using local honey introduces the added benefit of building up immunities to local allergens as well. It's a win-win.

We get our honey from Carol and Mike Miller, who are located just outside of Fort Wayne. They have hives all over the countryside and dedicated their time to education about honey bees, conservation and healthy practices. You can read more about their efforts here: 
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/Local-beekeepers-all-abuzz-over-craft-3467345

When I went to pick up my bucket of honey, Mike was kind enough to show me some of the new hives that had just arrived. I was there in the spring, so these were new queens brought up from the south to replenish hives that had lost a queen over the winter. It was fascinating to see how they were transported, cared for, and (eventually) taken to their new hive, surrounded by Indiana fields and flowers. (Have I mentioned I love this job?)

​I managed to snap a couple of bee pics. Enjoy! 

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