A Note From Our Founder on National Honey Bee Day

Wow! I shouldn’t be here talking about bees. Were it not for honeybees, I wouldn't be here writing this letter.

It was 1999 is when honeybees built me a metaphorical ladder for me to climb out of my regular life. The bees saved me. They gave me a life with purpose. So, in honor of the bees, on this National Honeybee Day, I shout a loud “Thank You!” to these beautiful beings. I have sold honey now for twenty-five years and have been a beekeeper for 44 years. My love for bees goes well beyond what they have done for me, but to what they do for our world.

Of the roughly 20,000 species of bees (all soft bodied, hairy and co-dependent with flowering plants) only a handful of species live in large colonies and make a surplus of honey.

Taking an oversimplified view, bees evolved from predatory wasps (100,000+ species) millions of years ago. Bees encouraged an explosion of diversity in flowering plants through their symbiotic existence. They served as Nature’s master gardeners and delivered us a world filled with fragrance, floral blossoms and food.

I love savoring the distinctive honey they make, never forgetting they also ensure the genetic diversity of plants in ancient and vital ecosystems. The unique honey has such a delicious taste and with a flavor not found anywhere else on Earth.

With each honeybee hive visiting over 500,000,000 flowers annually, the beneficial impact as a byproduct of making honey in those important ecosystems is beyond comprehension.

Bees add a positive halo to an ecosystem.

At the risk of being random, I once worked with the Hopi Indians who did traditional dances and lived a life that they believed kept the planet in balance. The bees also have a way of life that is helping the planet’s ecosystems maintain health and balance. And for that we should all be thankful.

One more beautiful thing about the honeybees is that each hive makes an average of 84 pounds surplus honey, more than they need to survive every year, so the pleasure of eating these honey treasures can be a guilt-free daily joy!

- Ted Dennard, Founder and Beekeeper

#happybees #happyearth