Most honey is good for you, but the kind that comes from small family-owned producers is often the healthiest, and the tastiest. California is world renowned as being an excellent source of artisan honey. It is also one of the largest honey producing states, right Behind North Dakota and often ahead of Montana, South Dakota and Texas. Each year California produces almost 14,000 Pounds of Honey. In fact, for this reason as well as sustainability, all bees are considered valuable that in California even wild native bumble bees may become protected under the California’s Endangered Species Act.
We’ve tried many honey producers from the Golden State, and here are three family-owned brands you should try right now:
3 FAMILY-OWNED CALIFORNIA HONEYS
TRUE GOLD HONEY
True Gold is owned by mother-son duo Sarah and Tyler Sample, both of whom are 3rd and 4th generation beekeepers. They’ve grown up in the apiary business, and know their way around the hives with skills and experience. Their bee farm is called the Sample Family Apiaries, with their separate honey business called True Gold.
ORANGE BLOSSOMEZ HONEY & WILDFLOWER HONEY
The True Gold Orange Blossom honey is a golden color with a citrus element of course, plus some zest. The Samples say that it can only be harvested where the weather is mild enough for orange trees to survive. Fortunately, the trees for their orange blossom honey basically come from around their own homes.
True Gold is well recognized for excellence, and has won Good Food Awards, Cal Expo Awards, and others.
https://truegoldhoney.com
KISS THE FLOWER HONEY
Kiss the Flower Honey Company was founded in 2010, and focuses on best practices for bees, people, and the planet. They use only natural methods, and have several hives in Sonoma County, including a Santa Rosa property, as well as in the West County. The flowers used in the honey include eucalyptus, Himalayan Blackberry, apples, and acacias.
Kiss the Flower produces only about 3,000 pounds of honey per year.
WILDLFLOWER HONEY
The Kiss the Flower Wildflower is classic honey. Their wildflower honey comes from hives on Mount Taylor in Santa Rosa.
STARTHISTLE HONEY
The Kiss the Flower Starthistle honey is a light gold color, with a mild and flowery flavor profile, as well as a bit of anise and cinnamon.
https://kisstheflowerhoney.com
SEKA HILLS HONEY
Seka Hills has a line of tribal products that honor Northern California’s Capay Valley. The Native Tribe is known as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
meaning ‘Home by the Spring Water.’ In the native Patwin language, ‘Séka’ means ‘blue.’
The Tribe’s product decisions are based on good environmental stewardship, with over 22,000 total acres in production in Yolo County
WILDFLOWER HONEY
The Seka Hills Wildflower Honey gets its taste and dark amber color from variety of wildflowers, such as redbud, rose clover and ceanothus, which are found on over 9,000 acres of tribal land. They produce the artisan honey in partnership with beekeeper John Foster
https://www.sekahills.com/
