One of our company’s non-negotiables is organic honey, from properly managed apiaries. And we strive, and so far have succeeded, to have the honey come from within 100 miles of our production facilities.

I say non-negotiable because I believe it is one of the crucial consumer decisions, right there with fair-trade tea, coffee and chocolate. It is a powerful buying choice, and since we’re using a good bit of honey, having this requirement means we can actively support an important industry. As can you.

{this seal is on all our products. It's our "Organic Honey" seal}

Our honey bees continue to be in a tough place.

According to Kevin Hackett, the national program leader for USDA's bee and pollination program, one-third of our diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination. Even cattle, which feed on alfalfa, depend on bees.
Without honey bees, we’d mostly be eating grains and water (lots of carbohydrates), and we’d be food-bored. And broken-out. And moody.

"This is the biggest general threat to our food supply," Hackett said. I doubt Mr. Hackett would use a term such as “biggest” lightly.

Colony Collapse Disorder is a term we started hearing in 2004, and it’s been in and out of the news since then. It’s serious. CCD is a general term for the seemingly mysterious disappearance of bees, a baffling reality for beekeepers. All kinds of theories came and went, but nothing conclusive had surfaced until recently.

I've linked to a few great reports, but here's the gist: There is new evidence that significantly correlates (how do you like that jargon?) a common class of pesticides to declining bee health: neonicotinoids. Neonnicotinoids are a class of pesticides related to nicotine, and the first new class of pesticides introduced in the last 50 years. They were developed due to a lower toxicity than  organophosphate pesticides to humans, but their toxicity to insects is just beginning to be understood.

They are potentially certainly (jargon?) affecting both honey bees and bumble bees. Of course, there are lots of un-answered questions, lots of opposing sides. I get it. It's a really big, tough deal.

But, I think: If there’s a darn good shot that an action leads to a consequence, instead of continuing the action until it’s proven, why not decrease or diminish the action and see it from that angle? That’s how I have clients test for food allergies: reduce and see if it feels better. It works. I know this is a way bigger issue! There are a lot of players in there, and I can only fathom the real magnitue of expense and research that drastic change to a major agriculture process entails.

Two easy actions that will make a difference:
Avoid Corn Products. Nearly all corn products are treated with this class of pesticides. This is a really tough one, since corn products are everywhere. But do what you can. This will decrease your exposure, but, even more so, make a financial point to companies. If you’re really on it, you can send your favorite corn-containing products' manufacturer an email, letting them know you love their product, but won’t be purchasing it until you feel better about their bee stance.

Buy organic honey, get to know your local beekeepers, and demand that products which contain honey do the same (yes, like us).

You could also read anything and everything by E. O. Wilson, one of my all-time favorites. In his words: You're a super-organism.

xo, and love the bees. Melissa