Frequently Asked Questions

• Who are the beeks featured on the Beek’s honey bottles?

  By now you know a “beek” is what we affectionately call our bee geeks. But here are some things you might not know about the four beeks currently featured on our Beek’s honey bottles.
  
  Jim Oakley – El Cajon, Calif. Jim has been a member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op since 1966. He runs Oakley Honey Farms with his two brothers, Ron and John. When they were kids, their dad Tony – who started the family honey operation – wrapped their hunting dog’s hurt paws in honey and tube socks. Through the healing powers of natural, pure honey, their dog was back on his feet – er, paws – in no time.
  
  David Bradshaw – Visalia, Calif. A member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op since 1976, David’s father was an engineer on the Apollo Space Program at NASA before leaving all that behind to be a beekeeper. Today, when David isn’t tending to his hives, he’s engineering new gadgets to help fellow beekeepers, such as a special dolly to lift beehives that he sells on his Bradshaw Honey Farms website.
  
  Bryan Beekman – Sanger, Calif. Beekman’s Apiaries runs about 10,000 hives in the Fresno County area. Bryan is a third-generation beekeeper, and he has been a member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op since 2002. Bryan says his key to success as a beekeeper – besides having “beek” in his name – is thinking like a bee and acting like a bee. “I just wish I could fly like a bee,” he says.
  
  Bob Brandi – Merced, Calif. Bob got into the bee game right out of college in 1973. He now owns Brandi Honey Farms, which includes his two sons and daughter, and operates around 6,000 hives. On average, those hives produce 700,000 pounds of honey a year. In addition to producing honey, his bees also help pollinate his 40 acres of almonds.

• Why should I buy local honey?

  Though there’s not a ton of research to support it, it’s been said that local honey can help provide allergy relief. The theory being that the bees in your vicinity will collect pollen from the plants that cause allergies. And the honey that those bees produce then acts as a sort of vaccine.
  
  But more so, we believe it’s important to support your local honey providers. Sioux Honey is proud of each and every one of its 250+ independent beekeepers, and we’re excited to offer products that feature and promote those individuals within their very own communities.

• How do I substitute honey for sugar?

  When substituting honey for granulated sugar in recipes, begin by substituting honey for up to half of the sugar called for in the recipe. For baked goods, make sure to reduce the oven temperature by 25°F to prevent overbrowning; reduce any liquid called for by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used and add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used. Because of its naturally high fructose content, honey has higher sweetening power than sugar. This means you can use less honey than sugar to achieve the desired sweetness.