Honey FAQs

Much as we would love to, we cannot claim our honey is “organic.”

No farmer or producer may make any organic claims unless the USDA specifically allows it, therefore beekeepers are currently unable to make any organic claims for their own honey, produced anywhere in the United States, no matter how diligent and careful the beekeeper is.

As of 2021, honey cannot be certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture. Any certified Organic honey sold in the United States is imported from another country and certified organic by that country.  This is commonly done with many foodstuffs, so it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong, but read on, and make up your own mind…

…The USDA recognizes other countries’ organic certification.  That imported organic honey is not certified Organic by the United States, but by the other country, from which standards may or may not be meaningful in any way.

The basis of this logic is that chemical agriculture is so widespread in the United States that there is virtually no area within the flight range of any beehives in the US where the bees could not conceivably encounter prohibited substances while foraging, such as pesticides, fungicides or GMO crops.

While this is a pretty sad commentary on the state of agriculture in the developed world, it’s also hard to believe that farmers in other impoverished areas of the world have it better.  True, there are areas in Brazil, and perhaps other parts of the world, that are relatively untouched, but it is also true that noxious and dangerous substances are used all the time in these places without proper knowledge and application methods, and no oversight at all.

Of course, bees bring that nasty stuff in their hives with any nectar and pollen they collect. Testing, if you even know what to test for, is ruinously expensive, so is not done in any meaningful way as items are transported around the world.

It’s always worth remembering, too, that while olive oil is the most faked item in the grocery store (!), honey comes in a close second (!!!).  Most store chains unfortunately are complicit in this, as the photo shows.  Many food labels make questionable claims.  As a result, it is very important to know where your food comes from.  As always, buying local from folks you know is the safest bet.

Each area and time of year brings different blooms. With experience and knowledge of local conditions, it is possible to set bees in a certain location during the bloom time of certain plants, for example, wild blackberries or clover. When this bloom is finished, the bees are promptly moved to other locations and the honey removed. Using this method it is possible to say that a certain honey is at least 80%, and may be up to 100%, of the named variety. Some varieties, such as Wildflower and Spring Blossom, are by nature mixtures of flower nectars and the names reflect this.

There are literally thousands of different types of honey in the world. We offer some that are indigenous to our local area:

Oregon Blackberry: Made from our abundant wild blackberry blooms. Very mild and fruity.

Wildflower: A late summer to fall honey, this is a mixture of flowers. It has a stronger “honey” flavor due to dry conditions.

Spring Blossom: A mixture of spring wildflowers, madrone tree blossom, and various types of native brush. Mild and probably sweeter than the other varieties. Popular for spring allergy prevention.

Clover: Either a high desert clover from the bees’ summer pastures (very light) or a cultivated red clover grown for seed (more of an amber color). Both taste similar, and are familiar to many, as much commercial honey is either clover, or a clover blend.

Oregon Meadowfoam: A plant that looks like white buttercups, grown for its oil. It yields a very unusual, distinctive-tasting honey that tastes like vanilla.

No! We are a small producer and sometimes varieties sell out during the year. To avoid disappointment, select a second choice when ordering. If you have your heart set on a certain variety, e-mail us before ordering.

Honey is a supersaturated sugar solution, and the sugar naturally likes to precipitate out of solution. This causes the granulation. It is NOT a sign of spoilage; rather this shows you have a pure, natural product. Honey from the supermarket or heated honey will not do this. You may find your raw honey has crystallized or “sugared up” after being stored for a while…not a problem. To remedy this, place in warm sunshine (best) or a pan of warm (not over 130 degree F) water and it will reliquefy in a jiffy. Use caution when using the hot water method if you have a plastic jar — it is very easy to overheat the honey and melt the jar. Never microwave as this is injurious to the natural living enzymes in the honey.

At this time the largest quantity we sell is a quart jar. From time to time we may offer larger quantities for sale produced by other Oregon beekeepers. These are available only selected times of the year, depending on supply, and they are available for local pick-up only, as they are too heavy and fragile to ship. To inquire about these, leave a message in our comment form or give us a jingle at (541) 826-7621.