This week we’re sharing your message with a quality custom blog post. We got the buzz from Nathaniel Philips of Lexington Bee Company on why bees are so important to our way of life, and why should you support your local beekeeper!
One of my favorite job duties here at BlueCotton is getting to know our customers. I just watched a documentary called Vanishing of the Bees (narrated by the lovely Ellen Page), when I saw Lexington Bee Company’s t-shirt order fly across my screen.
How did you get into beekeeping?
My interest in beekeeping began when I was in college at the University of Georgia. I took an entomology class and became fascinated by the study of bees. I started volunteering at the UGA bee farm and reading books to learn how to keep bees. After that I built my own hives and what started out as a hobby during college, grew into a lifelong passion.
What do you find the most fascinating thing about bees?
A third of the food we eat depends on bees for pollination. Without honey bees, the fruits, the vegetables, and the flowers that depend on them would disappear. Not only are bees responsible for pollinating the plants that produce the food we eat, but they are also the only insect that produces food consumed by humans. Albert Einstein once said that, “If the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.”
If you had 30 seconds on all major networks, what would you say about bees/beekeeping?
Support your local beekeeper. Not only does eating local honey support a more environmentally friendly agricultural model, it’s also better for you. Honey is a collection of simple carbohydrates and an assortment of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. Processed honey sold in grocery stores loses many of its subtle flavors and nutritional values when it is filtered for clarity and superheated to extend its shelf life. At Lexington Bee Company, all of our honey is 100% pure, raw, unheated, and unfiltered. We harvest our honey with minimal straining to preserve all the natural enzymes, pollen, and floral essences the honeybees put into it for the highest quality flavor.
What’s your favorite kind of honey? Can you tell us a little bit about different kinds of honey (from trees/flowers/etc)?
The flavor in honey is the result of the pollen and nectar gathered in a certain locale during a certain season, which can lead to delicious results. Depending on what flowers and trees are in bloom determines what the honey will taste like. One of the most flavorful honeys is Sourwood honey, which is produced in the mountains of North Georgia and Western Carolina during the months of June and July. Sourwood honey is extra-light to an amber color and extremely aromatic with a distinctively rich honey flavor.
What’s your favorite bee/beeswax/honey product?
The appearance of honey in grocery stores has increased exponentially in the past few years. From chips to candy to sauces, honey is adding flavor to a variety of food products. Acting as a natural sweetener, honey is a healthy substitute for refined sugars. So, given the delicious flavor and added health benefits, any food containing honey is my favorite honey product.
If you would like to be featured on our blog and answer a few questions about your organization, business, club or team – please contact leann@bluecotton.com.