This summer has been really eventful! My family and I just adopted a beehive and I sure love my new babies! You see when I grew up in San Diego my parents figured out how to have 20 fruit trees in our yard. Which is a huge feat if you have ever seen how small Southern California yards can be. With all of those fruit trees my parents decided they should have a beehive to help with the pollination. So this city girl grew up with bees in her backyard! I have really fond memories of my dad and his friend getting the honey and then processing it in our downstairs bathroom. The honey was delicious and I’m pretty sure I was the only kid at my school bringing peanut butter and honey sandwiches for lunch and I was the kid bringing in bees for show and tell instead of an ant farm! Just like anything else, homegrown honey is so much better than what you get at the store and I’ve always wanted my own hive but I live in an HOA community and bees are out of the question. That is why I was so excited when I as contacted by Cox honey about their new beehive adoption program.
You see bees in the U.S. have been in decline (which would explain the recent price increase on honey.)
Why should we care about the bees? Bee pollination is responsible for more than $15 billion in increased crop value each year. About one mouthful in three in our diet directly or indirectly benefits from honey bee pollination. Commercial production of many specialty crops like almonds and other tree nuts, berries, fruits and vegetables depend on pollination by honey bees. These are the foods that give our diet diversity, flavor, and nutrition.
So Cox honey (located in Idaho) has created a system where you can not only save the bees but reap the benefits of having your own beehive–no matter where you live! (The above picture is the beekeeper with my adopted hive.) The Beehive Adoption program is a unique way for someone to get connected with nature even when time really doesn’t permit. It makes the perfect project for school classrooms and scouting groups. You can even participate as a family and learn about honey bees together. They send you pictures and geographic coordinates of your hive and regular honey (liquid and creamed) shipments every few months (depending on your level of adoption). With the platinum membership you’ll receive 30 pounds of honey and feel good about helping the world and our food supply! So join me in helping to save the bees! Visit Cox Honey to find out how you can adopt your own hive!
