Honey Watermelon Mojito

Ingredients

1.5 oz light rum
1.5 oz lime juice
1/2 tsp SUE BEE® Honey
0.5 oz honey water (2 parts honey, 1 part warm water)
2 slices of watermelon, pureed
6 mint leaves
Splash of club soda

Directions

Grilling with Honey

4 things you should know before firing up that grill

Telling backyard chefs how to grill is like telling them how they should raise their children. It’s not always welcome advice. 

That said, we would like to offer a few tips when it comes to grilling with honey. Consider them merely suggestions. You know grilling; we know honey. We’re in this together, and we’re simply trying to make your life as a culinary-minded patio pontificator just a little sweeter.

So, before you start drizzling those pork chops, chicken breasts or BBQ ribs with SUE BEE® honey, consider these four tips:

1. Honey by itself can, naturally, be a sticky endeavor when you try to brush it straight onto your grilling items. Instead, try mixing honey with another liquid, like a juice or oil. This makes the golden goodness easier to apply. More important: If you add honey by itself directly to the meats, it can char the surface before the food is cooked. By adding a bit of orange juice, fresh pineapple juice or even a touch of water to the honey, you shouldn’t have any problem putting the honey mixture in direct heat. One of our favorite ways to grill with honey is to mix Sue Bee® honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. It’s a salty-sweet combo that packs a mouth-watering zing.
2. Help make the honey easier to brush onto grilling items by running warm water over your container of honey mixture. Or let the bottle of honey sit in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes prior to mixing.

3. In addition to pairing honey with a juice or oil, it’s important to create different temperature zones on your grill when it comes to grilling with honey. One for direct heat, and one for indirect heat. With a gas grill, this is easily accomplished. With coal grills, you can simply separate the coals accordingly. In a zone of indirect heat, you can apply your honey-juice mixture freely to the outer surface of your meats, pork or chicken are great options, to lock in flavor and moisture while contributing to the caramelization process. For a beautiful mahogany finish and a fast sear, move your honeyed meats into the area of direct heat and cook briefly.

4. Marinades are ideal for honey, as they help meat hold moisture. Try tossing and mixing your honey marinade in a plastic food storage bag together with the meat. Then refrigerate and let it soak. For fish and vegetables, which tend to absorb flavors faster, marinate for 30 to 40 minutes. For chicken, soak for at least 2 to 8 hours (overnight is even better). Meats like pork or beef also need 2 to 8 hours for the flavors to really develop. Need a marinade idea? Here are a couple of our favorites:

Honey-Lemon Marinade for Chicken

Ingredients

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 ½ tbsp of SUE BEE® honey

2 tbsp of fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/4 tbsp of paprika

1/8 tbsp of fresh ground pepper

Directions

Combine and mix the ingredients in a bowl, then transfer to a large Ziploc bag. Add chicken and place bag in the refrigerator for 2 to 8 hours before grilling.

Spicy Honey Glaze for Ribs

If you enjoy grilled baby pork ribs, this recipe is for you.

Ingredients

1 cup of soy sauce

1 cup of sake (optional)

2 tsp of ground dried chili flakes

5 tbsp of SUE BEE® honey

2 tbsp of minced fresh ginger

2 tbsp of minced fresh garlic

6 tbsp of sesame oil

2 sides (about 3 pounds) baby pork ribs

Directions

Add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and blend. Put the ribs in a snuggly fitting container, with the ribs stacked on top of each other. Then pour the marinade over the ribs and cover with plastic wrap. Put the container in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

A Precious Gem

Crystallized honey is not only OK, it’s preferred by many foodies

CRYSTALLIZED HONEY IS STILL GOOD. IN FACT, SOME PREFER CRYSTALLIZED HONEY. IT’S DELICIOUS, AND IT IS JUST AS NATURAL AS LIQUID HONEY.

Sorry for yelling. We wanted to put that up-front-and-center, so we’re all clear: Crystallized honey is good honey. And perhaps most important, still valuable. How valuable?

According to Sotheby’s, the most valuable crystal in the world is the “Pink Star,” a flawless 60-carat diamond that sold at auction for $71.2 million in 2017.

With all due respect to Southby’s, that’s not even close to being the most valuable crystallized structure in the world. Just ask our 200+ beekeeper members of the Sioux Honey® Co-op, they’ll tell you: It’s honey.

Wait, honey is a liquid, right? Most of the time, yes. But if you’re a honey lover, you’ve likely come across crystallized honey. And hopefully, you haven’t thrown it out. Because as we so loudly put it above, crystallized honey – so gorgeously granular, with an almost-chewy consistency – is still edible, and it’s still delicious. Very delicious.

Living the shelf life

As you might know, honey’s shelf life is … well, forever. Kind of like diamonds. In fact, crystallized honey is actually a sign that the honey is a good, quality honey. Inferior honey doesn’t crystallize as easily.

All you have to do is read a few articles about honey and you’ll probably come across a reference to honey being found in Egypt’s Great Pyramids. It’s often quoted that honey was found in King Tut’s tomb, and it was still good!

That’s true.

According to National Geographic, archaeologists found pots of crystallized honey in ancient tombs that date back 3,000 years. It’s the world’s oldest sample, and still perfectly edible.

“Ancient Egyptians used honey for a multitude of purposes including as a sweetener, a gift for the gods,” says National Geographic.

“Thanks to Egyptian drawings depicting ancient beekeeping, we’ve long known that humans have worked with bees for thousands of years but we didn’t know just how far back our relationship with bees went – until now.”

Scientists say humans have been using bee products – honey, wax, etc. – for at least 9,000 years. Researchers from the University of Bristol have found evidence of early farmers using beeswax as far back as the Stone Age. The Stone Age! 

But how? Several reasons, including honey’s acidity, its lack of water and the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which all work in perfect harmony, allowing the sticky treat to last forever.

“Now we know that beeswax was used continuously from the seventh millennium BCE, probably as an integral part in different tools, in rituals, cosmetics, medicine, as a fuel or to make receptacles waterproof,” researcher Alfonso Alday told National Geographic.

Do you still think crystallized honey has gone bad? Oh, we see, you’re one of those science types. You want to know why and how honey crystallizes.

The ‘how’ behind crystallized honey

Honey is made up of 70% to 80% monosaccharides like glucose and fructose and only about 20% water. In other words, honey is a natural sugar. 

“Sugars are hygroscopic, a term that means they contain very little water in their natural state but can readily suck in moisture if left unsealed,” says a Smithsonian Magazine article exploring the science of honey. 

Honey expert Amina Harris told Smithsonian that “honey in its natural form is very low moisture. Very few bacteria or microorganisms can survive in an environment like that, they just die. They’re smothered by it, essentially.”

Harris’ comment represents “an important feature of honey’s longevity: for honey to spoil, there needs to be something inside of it that can spoil. With such an inhospitable environment, organisms can’t survive long enough within the jar of honey to have the chance to spoil,” Smithsonian says.

But wait, isn’t nectar – that flower-power that honeybees collect to make honey – almost all water? Almost. Nectar is about 60% to 80% water, but by the time bees get done with it, almost all of the water is removed during the honey-making process. (Flapping their wings dries out the nectar.) Additionally, special enzymes in their stomachs help the drying process. By the time the bees place the honey into a honeycomb cell, most of the water has been removed.

Ready to enjoy crystallized honey?

Foodies will tell you, “Crystallized honey is amazing! Especially spread on toast, biscuits or just scooped right out of the container.”

So, how do you get crystallized honey? It starts with a quality honey like Sue Bee® honey or Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered honey. Authentic, American honey can have microscopic pollen particles still in it, even if it has been strained to remove hive debris, plant particles and other unwanted elements. It only takes a small particle – pollen, typically – for crystals in honey to build upon. That’s why crystallized honey is a sign that the honey hasn’t been diluted or adulterated in any way.

As we mentioned above, honey is made up of much more glucose and fructose than water, so when the sugar molecules separate from the water, they begin to crystallize. Once one tiny crystal has formed, more crystals begin to build off it.

Honey will crystallize in the hive if the temperature dips below 50 degrees. Likewise, honey will crystallize in a container if it is stored in a panty with cool temps, or if it is kept in a cool place, like a cellar or a garage in the winter.

You can speed up the crystallization process by taking the lid off the container of honey and putting it in the refrigerator. If you already have some crystallized honey and you want to make more, try adding a spoonful of crystallized honey to a container of liquid honey and then placing it lidless in the refrigerator. The crystals will build upon existing crystals and crystallize faster that way.

That’s all dandy, but I prefer my honey syrupy, thank you

That’s how most people enjoy honey. And if golden, liquid form is how you like it, then it’s easy to keep your honey in that state. For one, storing your honey in a warmer place will slow crystallization. But if it still crystallizes, you can easily turn it back into liquid form by heating it up. 

The best way to do that is to set your container of crystallized honey into a pan with warm water. Microwaving can overheat the honey and might not heat it evenly, so a bowl of warm water is best.

And if you want to get creative with your crystallized honey, you could even make creamed honey with it. Try our savory recipe for creamed honey using Sue Bee® honey or Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered honey that has crystallized. If you try it, let us know how it turned out!

Cream of the Crop

Delicious, smooth and spreadable, this easy-to-make recipe has just one ingredient

For this must-try recipe, you only need one simple item. And if you know us, then you know exactly what that one naturally sweet item is. 

Yep, honey.

But not just any honey. This recipe for creamed honey calls for crystallized Sue Bee® or Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered honey.

Yes, it’s still good

Crystallized honey is not only good honey, some prefer it over liquid honey. In fact, crystallized honey is a sign that the honey is a good, quality honey. And making crystallized honey into cream is REALLY tasty!

Simply take your crystallized honey – or honey that has started to crystallize – and add it to a bowl or stand mixer. And then mix. It’s that easy.

It takes about five minutes, but the longer you mix, the creamier it gets.

The result is easy-to-spread honey that is perfect on crackers, biscuits, toast, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, in your coffee and tea and lots more.

Don’t have crystallized honey?

If you don’t have crystallized honey, you can speed up the crystallization process by taking the lid off the container of honey and putting it in the refrigerator.

If you already have some crystallized honey and you want to make more, try adding a spoonful of crystallized honey to a container of liquid honey and then placing it lidless in the refrigerator. The crystals will build upon existing crystals and crystallize faster that way.

Want to learn more about crystallized honey? Check out our blog post where we get into the how and why of this oh-so-good honey.

Try ours

If you don’t have time to whip up a batch, you can order our popular version of creamed honey; Sue Bee® Spun® Clover Honey –it’s a sweet and delicious spread!

A True Queen Bee

Family, tradition keep this multi-generational honey house thriving

Nestled in the pocket of a tree-lined grove on the outskirts of Sandusky, Michigan – a cozy town in the eastern part of the thumb in the “Michigan mitten” – there is a beeyard that has been home to hives for the past 125+ years.

With its proximity near nectar-rich patches of sweet clover, the location had been a beekeeper’s honey hole for more than 60 years before Henry Hodges took over the operation in 1956. It’s been in the same family – and continued to be a healthy beeyard – ever since.

Henry’s membership in the Sioux Honey® Co-op began a couple of decades later in 1978. When Henry’s daughter and son-in-law, Jane and Paul Arnold, took over the operation in 1986, they became Sioux Honey members, too. Then in 2016, Paul and Jane’s daughter, Jamie Ostrowski, took over the honey operation and continued the Sioux Honey tradition.

It’s a multigenerational beekeeping story that is familiar to the 200-plus families that operate honey businesses as part of the Sioux Honey Co-op. Between Jamie’s family alone, there are 40-plus years of Sioux Honey membership. If you’ve ever wondered who your honey comes from, here’s your answer.

Jamie’s journey in beekeeping

Back at the beeyard in Sandusky last fall near the end of the harvest season, Jamie, her dad and her son, Will, looked over honey collection records from that site.

“This yard has had hives on it for about 125 years, can you believe that?” Jamie said as she spread several bookkeeping records atop the hives.

“Look at these books. These are the records my father and grandfather kept for Sioux Honey in the ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, 2000s, 2010s and the 20-teens just for this one yard. There’s so much history here … it makes me proud.

“I can remember going to the beeyard with my dad and grandpa as a child,” she recalled. “As a teenager, I went to the beeyards with them and just carried equipment.”

After high school, Jamie managed a few restaurants, which she enjoyed. “But that isn’t good for raising a family – a lot of nights and a lot of weekends. I wanted more time with the kids. I didn’t want to miss their games,” she said.

It was that experience as a teen working with her dad and grandfather in the beeyards that drew her back to beekeeping.

“I learned that it was nice to work together as a family,” she said. “We worked together, we were able to play together, and mom and dad never missed our games.”

The queen bee takes over

Jamie returned to her hometown of Deckerville, Michigan, which is about a 15-minute drive to the north from that 125-year-old beeyard in Sandusky. She started with her own beekeeping operation, which she named Queen Bee Enterprises, and joined the Sioux Honey co-op in 2012. In 2016, Jamie bought her father’s operation, Arnold Apiaries.

Jamie is one of few female beekeepers who own and operate their own honey business. It’s a career and a lifestyle that doesn’t attract a lot of women, she says.

“This is really hard work, physically extremely hard work,” Jamie says. “I think that most women are intimidated by that.

“There’s no easy way to harvest honey or take care of hives. You have to be extremely strong, all the time. There aren’t a lot of women who do this job because of that physical demand. I’m not saying you can’t, because obviously I do. But you have to have a crew that’s willing to do the heavy lifting with you.”

Jamie added that commercial beekeeping is a job that can only be learned through experience, and in order to get that experience, you need to convince a beekeeper that you are strong and determined enough to do the hard work it takes to be successful.

“It wasn’t easy to convince my dad that I could handle the workload,” Jamie said. “I’m sure convincing a beekeeper who didn’t know me would have been almost impossible.” 

Getting her family involved

Among her crew of seven employees are Jamie’s three sons: Gus, Will and Zack. All three have attended college. Gus studied religion at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with the intention of becoming a pastor. 

“I still really enjoy having my own project hives, but I kind of took a different turn,” Gus says. “Being a pastor is something I’ve been thinking about. I volunteer in my church right now in the youth ministry, so we’ll see.”

Zack and Will have become full-time beekeepers. And Jamie’s husband, Jeremy, also works with the family’s honeybees. In addition to farming crops in Michigan, Jeremy travels with the bees to California in the winter for almond pollination season.

“It’s a family business, and that’s what I like about it,” Will says. “I want to be around my family, and with the scheduling it works well. We work very hard, but we also have that flexibility to make sure we can be with our families when we need to.”

The tradition lives on

Will says he wants to be a member of Sioux Honey if he eventually takes over Arnold Apiaries, which makes Jamie happy.

“Being part of Sioux Honey is tradition,” she says. “It’s something that my grandfather joined, my father and mom continued on and it’s continued with me and, hopefully, my sons if and when they take over.”

Sioux Honey provides Jamie a place to market her honey and also offers a connection to other beekeepers that she says is missing when beekeepers operate on their own.

 “I appreciate having a group of beekeepers that I can talk to, beekeepers who are exchanging ideas and marketing our honey together and bringing the best product we can to the market in the U.S.”

The most important thing to Jamie is having a voice.

“Every member has a voice, that’s what’s unique about it. We each have the ability to influence the direction Sioux Honey takes.

“But again, it goes back to tradition. Like our tradition with the landowners where we keep our bees. It’s all still done with a handshake. With the farmers, our bees provide pollination for their crops, and their crops provide food for our bees, so we all benefit.

“And a handshake and saying ‘I’ll bring you a case of honey at the end of the season’ is the way we have always done business. It’s tradition.”

From One USA Team to Another

Sioux Honey® makes military members’ lives a little sweeter

Just a few months ago, we were in the kitchen with an Angel Baker making a batch of Sue Bee® Pumpkin Spice Muffins as part of a holiday care package for our armed forces serving abroad. Things sure have changed since then.

And yet, some things never change.

Today, despite a transformation to the world’s landscape as a result of COVID-19, the goal for the Sioux Honey® Association Co-op and Soldiers’ Angels remains the same: Help make the lives of our brave military members a little sweeter, whether they are waging a battle in a foreign country, recovering at home or joining the fight against a global pandemic.

For Soldiers’ Angels, it means aiding wounded heroes, military families, deployed service members and veterans of all eras. For Sioux Honey, it means a partnership with donations in the form of honey and money to help support Soldiers’ Angels’ efforts.

A beekeeper and an Angel Baker

A few weeks before Thanksgiving, Houghson, Calif.-based Sioux Honey beekeeper Matt Beekman – yes, that’s his real name – joined Angel Baker Kitty Harmon to bake up a batch of honey-kissed pumpkin spice muffins. Thanks to Angel Bakers in the U.S., our troops receive care packages on a regular basis through Soldiers’ Angels. In the past five years alone, Angel Bakers have sent 11,230 care packages of baked goods to 9,640 deployed service members. To help them with their efforts, Sioux Honey donated cases of honey to help the bakers make their goodies just a little sweeter.

Matt, a third-generation beekeeper, was happy to join Kitty, who has been an Angel Baker for the past year-and-a-half. Matt enjoys cooking and baking himself, especially when honey is one of the ingredients.

“I honestly think that honey is probably one of the most magical agricultural commodities that you can find. If you just look at all the aspects of food – texture, aromatic, sweet – honey really possesses a lot of these things,” Matt said during the baking session.

Added Kitty: “Honey is natural. It’s good for you. I love that honey is just the one ingredient. Nothing has been added to it, and it’s sweet. I love sweet. And almost every recipe that calls for sugar in baked goods you can substitute honey for.”

A new enemy

Of course, life has changed since Matt and Kitty baked up those muffins last November. A deadly new disease known as COVID-19 has disrupted lives and forced the world to radically adjust to the deadly pandemic. For the U.S. military, it’s a new type of battle, but one they readily take on.

“In this pandemic, our military continues to serve us at home and abroad,” said Mark Mammen, President of the Sioux Honey co-op. “With deployments extended and the National Guard assisting communities, our service members are doing what they always do by serving the American people with heroic sacrifice.”

Amy Palmer, Soldiers’ Angels president and CEO, says it is “more important than ever that we band together and show our support for our military – many of them, such as the Guard and Reserves units deployed across the United States, are putting their own health at risk as first responders to this crisis.”

As a special thanks to our military heroes, and in observance of Loyalty Day on May 1 – when we reaffirm our loyalty to the United States and recognize and celebrate American freedom – the Sioux Honey co-op showed its support by making a $5,000 donation to Soldiers’ Angels. 

Sioux Honey beekeepers are getting involved at an individual level, too, and have been sending postcards and baking treats for deployed service members.

“This is just a small thank you from a group of beekeepers who appreciate the sacrifices made for our freedom and how that service continues in this time of upheaval,” Mammen said.

Sioux Honey Makes Loyalty Day Contribution to Soldiers’ Angels

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – In observance of Loyalty Day, Sioux Honey Association Co-op is showing its support to members of the military amidst the coronavirus crisis. The beekeepers behind the Sue Bee honey brand are making a $5,000 donation to Soldiers’ Angels, which aids wounded heroes, military families, deployed service members and veterans of all eras.

“In this pandemic our military continues to serve us at home and abroad,” said Mark Mammen, president of Sioux Honey. “With deployments extended and the National Guard assisting communities, our service members are doing what they always do by serving the American people with heroic sacrifice.”

“This is just a small thank you from a group of beekeepers who appreciate the sacrifices made for our freedom and how that service continues in this time of upheaval,” Mammen added.

Along with the check to the organization, the co-op’s beekeepers sent handwritten notes to those overseas and donated cases of Sue Bee to the Angel Bakers group – a division of Soldiers’ Angels – to be used for treats prepared for deployed military.

Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Soldiers’ Angels has more than 20 programs that support current and former service members and their families nationwide. Since the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic, Soldiers’ Angels has been making masks for active duty service personnel; sending care packages to those who are deployed; providing mobile food services to veterans; and donating devices to VA patients so they can video chat with family and do virtual patient visits.

“Thank you to everyone at Sioux Honey, all of the participating beekeepers and those who have purchased Sue Bee honey for the past few months for their support of our military community during this difficult time,” said Amy Palmer, Soldiers’ Angels president and CEO. “Amid this global pandemic, it is more important than ever that we band together and show our support for our military – many of them, such as the Guard and Reserves units deployed across the United States, are putting their own health at risk as first responders to this crisis.”

You can read about Soldiers’ Angels COVID-19 Response Programs here or learn more about volunteering virtually with Soldiers’ Angels here. Those interested in donating to the organization can do so at soldiersangels.org.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup of softened butter

1 tsp of vanilla

3/4 cup Sue Bee® honey

3/4 cup of miniature chocolate chips

Directions

Aunt Sue’s Nutty Honey Dip

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter (or almond butter)

2 tsp Aunt Sue’s Raw & Unfiltered Honey

2 tbsp vanilla Greek yogurt

dash of cinnamon

Directions

All you have to do is mix together the peanut (or almond) butter, honey, yogurt and cinnamon and you’re ready to enjoy! … Oh, and if you’re feeling extra saucy, sprinkle some cinnamon over your apple slices, too.

Honeybee Haven

5 tips on how to create a bee-friendly flower garden this summer

The fact that honeybees need our help is not breaking news. You’ve probably read a story or two about the decline in honeybee populations in recent years. 

But is that true? Have the honeybee populations, specifically in the U.S., been in decline in recent years? Yes and no.

While commercial beekeepers – like the 200+ members in the Sioux Honey Association Co-op – have experienced above-average losses in honeybee populations, they have been able to keep up with the losses by creating new hives/colonies of honeybees.

In fact, according to the USDA, in 2018, commercial beekeepers created more honeybees than they lost. They did so by splitting hives, producing new queen bees to create new hives, etc. 

What about wild bees?

Feral honeybees, the ones that live in the wild, have a much harder time surviving. They don’t have beekeepers there to move their hives to safe ground when forest fires or floodwaters surge.

And there are lots of other reasons for honeybee deaths – both for honeybees that beekeepers tend to and for feral honeybees:

• A decrease in forgeable land due to monoculture farming.
• An increase use of pesticides and herbicides that are harmful to bees.
• Loss of biodiversity due to circumstances like climate change.
• Destruction of habitats that offer shelter for bees via forest fires, floods, tidal surges from. hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
• The relentless varroa mites.
• Small hive beetles.
• And mysterious, hard-to-pinpoint reasons that often fall under the label of “colony collapse disorder,” where entire colonies disappear overnight.

Stay calm, hug a beekeeper

As we mentioned, beekeepers like Sioux Honey co-op members have been keeping up with the losses by helping create new hives and, according to the USDA, they are collecting more honey than ever – up 2% in 2019.

But the prospect of honeybee losses is concerning news, considering honeybees – the world’s great pollinators – are responsible for pollinating about one-third of the global food supply. Specifically, of the 100 crops that provide 90 percent of our global food supply, 71 are pollinated by honeybees and other pollinators.

According to a 2016 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between $235 and $577 billion worth of annual global food production relies on direct contributions by pollinators.

Here’s where YOU come in

So maybe you’ve wondered, “How can I help?”

We’re so glad you asked! Because we have an answer: Plant a garden.

Planting flowers and plants that honeybees, butterflies and other pollinators can forage not only helps sustain the honeybee, it also adds colorful, natural beauty to a yard. It’s a win-win. 

And you don’t need a sprawling homestead to create a bee-friendly flower garden. It can be a small area of your yard, and as modest as a window container or rooftop patch. The goal is to add to the shrinking amount of natural flower-rich habitat for honeybees. In return, the bees will pollinate your flowers and can help provide a harvest of fruits, seeds and vegetables that you and others in your neighborhood might plant.

Before you get started, consider these 5 tips:

1. Plant native flowers – Plant flowers that bees in your area are used to – ones that are uniquely adapted to your region. It’s a good idea to visit with a local garden center whose experts can help you find the perfect bee-friendly flowers for you. Plus, they will carry seeds and flowering plants that are specifically suited for your area.

2. Single-flower tops are ideal – Try to select single-flower tops for your bee garden, such as daisies and marigolds, rather than double-flower tops such as double impatiens. Double-headed flowers look pretty, but they also produce much less nectar and make it tougher for bees to access pollen.

3. Variety is the spice of life for bees – Mix up the selection on the types of flowers you plant so you can have blooms during as many seasons as possible. That way, bees have a consistent food source on which to dine. More examples include: Springtime bloomers – crocus, hyacinth, borage, calendula and wild lilac. Summertime bloomers – cosmos, echinacea, snapdragon, foxglove and hostas. Fall bloomers – zinnias, sedum, asters, witch hazel and goldenrod.

4. No need to make it high maintenance – It’s important to remember that a bee-friendly garden doesn’t need to rely on constant upkeep. In fact, this is the type of garden that you can plant and then let it grow.

5. About pesticides and fertilizers – Don’t use them in a bee garden. They can be toxic to bees. Ladybugs, spiders and praying mantises will naturally keep pest populations in check. If you must, use only natural pesticides and fertilizers.

Share your garden with us!

If you plant a summer bee garden, we would love to see it. Post a photo on one of our social channels at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. And then give yourself a high-five.  You’ve just done your part to help protect the U.S. honeybee population!

It’s a Team Effort

Sioux Honey co-op beekeepers work toward the same goal

“Most people think of honeybees in simple terms: They make honey and they sting,” says beekeeper Bob Morlock, a member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op.

“But if you look more into the life of a bee, you realize how complex they are. Everybody has a job to do. They all have to work together for the whole thing to come together. It’s actually quite interesting. Everything revolves around the queen, and everybody has to do their part for the whole thing to work. 

“That’s how I feel the Sioux Honey co-op works. Everybody does their part for the betterment of all the other beekeepers.”

Bob has been doing his part as a beekeeper member of the Sioux Honey co-op since 2001 – the year he joined the Iowa-based cooperative. And for the past seven years, he has served on its board of directors. If you’ve ever wondered who your Sioux Honey products come from, here you go. As one of the 200+ beekeeper members, Bob helps collect a portion of the 40 million pounds of U.S. honey each year collected by Sioux Honey beekeepers. 

Love at first sight

Bob grew up in central North Dakota and is a native of Sykeston. He was introduced to the world of honey by beekeepers who kept hives on his great uncle’s land. 

“My first experience was watching them use their smokers and work the bees. It fascinated me,” he says. “I thought it was interesting that they could be around those ferocious bees that sting.

“And then when I got a hive of my own and started working with one myself, I realized they weren’t ferocious; they were actually docile. They were quite gentle and not aggressive as most people think.”

In high school, and then while studying communications at the University of North Dakota, Bob worked for commercial beekeepers. One of those beekeepers, Chester Elmquist, was among the early members of the Sioux Honey co-op, which began in Sioux City nearly 100 years ago in 1921.

Bob enjoyed college, but, like many beekeepers, once the honey is in their blood (so to speak), it stays there. 

“I’m an outdoor person,” Bob says. “Being outside. That, I think, is the best part about beekeeping. I get to see a lot of sunrises and sunsets that most normal people don’t get to see.

“And I like the beekeeping family – the other Sioux Honey members, the other beekeepers, the joking that goes along with everybody, and the friendships.”

With beekeeping set as his career, Bob focused on building a business. He bought Elmquist’s honey operation from son-in-law, Paul Eidbo, who had taken over Chester’s operation. Through the years, Bob continued to grow his operation. Today, he is one of Sioux Honey’s largest honey producers. And he can’t imagine doing anything else.

“Beekeeping is more of a lifestyle than a job. The traveling part keeps it interesting, and every year is always different with the weather and everything, so it seems to be always changing.”

From north to south to west and back

Bob’s operation is based in Casselton, North Dakota, but he’s only there about six months of the year. Bob begins each year by taking many of his bees to California for the almond pollination season, which is between mid-January and mid-March, with the majority of the pollination taking place in February. 

Honeybees are crucial to the almond industry in California, where the annual production is worth more than $5.9 billion (according to a 2016 report from almonds.com).

Approximately 6,800 almond growers produce nearly 100% of the commercial domestic almond supply in the United States, and more than 70% of worldwide production. But their almonds need cross-pollination.

That’s where Bob and his bees – and hundreds of other beekeepers and their bees – come in. About 2.8 million colonies of bees are placed in California’s 1.4 million acres of almond orchards at the beginning of the bloom period to pollinate the crop. 

In the spring, Bob brings his bees to the Buna, Texas, area where he rebuilds and splits hives and breeds queen bees in preparation of honey season in North Dakota and Minnesota. The bees also produce honey in Texas, feasting on tallow, yaupon holly and blackberry blooms.

From Texas, the bees are taken to North Dakota and Minnesota for summer honey production. In North Dakota, the bees produce light-colored honey while foraging on clover alfalfa and soybeans. In Minnesota, the bees produce even lighter honey from visiting basswood trees, also known as the American linden tree.

A hibernation of sorts

In the fall, Bob’s bees are taken to Idaho where they spend the first part of winter resting in potato sheds before heading back to California for the almond pollination season.

Wait. Potato sheds? Indeed. More and more North American beekeepers are wintering their bees in cold storage. Some are even custom-built for bees, with special air filtration and ventilation systems, oxygen, carbon dioxide monitors and cooling systems. 

Here are a few reasons why:

• In the cool temperatures, the bees stay dormant, which helps them build up strength and body fat after a long summer. 
• The cold storage also means a broodless period (the queen gets a rest because she isn’t laying new eggs), which kills off pests like varroa mites, which can’t live if they don’t have new brood to eat.
• When the bees get to the warmth of California, the queen makes up for lost time and the hives see a population boom, and that means more bees for pollination and more bees for the honey season.

Have bees, will travel

For Bob, traveling is just part of the job for a commercial beekeeper. When his kids were younger, he said, he missed out on some of their school and sporting events, “but we made it through and now that they are all on their own and my wife (Juli) can travel with me, it works out well, being able to be together towards the later part of our life.”

Bob said he didn’t foresee his children taking over the business in the future.

“That would be nice, but they all worked with the bees when they were kids and decided that wasn’t for them, so I have no family members to take over at this point,” he says.

Why join the Sioux Honey co-op?

Like most beekeepers who join the Sioux Honey co-op, Bob likes the idea of everyone “working together for the betterment of everybody, with everyone working together toward the same goal, which is to collect the best-tasting American honey possible.

“And I feel like I’m one of the owners. I have a say in how things are run, just like the other beekeepers. And all I have to worry about is collecting the honey. Sioux Honey takes care of picking it up, bottling it, shipping it to stores and marketing it. That allows me to put all of my time and effort toward my bees.”

And more time for sampling. When we asked Bob to share his favorite recipe that includes honey, or his favorite way to eat it, he says: 

“My favorite is just putting my finger in the honeycomb, fresh out of the hive. You pull out that freshly capped frame of honey and there’s nothing like it – the taste and the whole aspect of it just coming right from the bee. It’s amazing.”

Aunt Sue’s® Whipped Honey Coffee

Ingredients

2 tbsp instant coffee
1 tbsp Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey
1 tbsp hot water
Milk (or almond milk) and ice

Directions

Mix Aunt Sue’s® honey, instant coffee and hot water with whisk or hand blender for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy.
Fill glass with milk (or almond milk) and ice.
Scoop fluffy honey coffee into glass.
Drizzle honey on top, of course.

Helpful Honey Hacks & Recipes

Being stuck at home can cause some common issues: boredom; antsy children; lack of energy. Or maybe you’re just tired of the same old go-to pantry/freezer meals. Either way, we have the solution. Just add a little Sue Bee® and Aunt Sue’s® honey to your meals! Check out below for some our favorite (and even unexpected) ways to use this magical food that never expires and always seems to sweeten your day. 

Are you using honey as often as you could? 

Honey is the most versatile food. And if you haven’t already, you’ve got to try all these Why-haven’t-I-been-doing-this-my-whole-life Honey Hacks. 

• Use honey as an ice cream topping.
• Dip your pizza crust in honey.
• Dip your chicken nuggets in honey.
• Add some honey in your oatmeal.
• Swap out the sugary syrup for honey on pancakes and waffles.
• Skip the jelly and add honey to your peanut butter toast.
• Add honey to your coffee instead of sugar.
• Add honey to your tea for a sweet boost. 
• Drizzle honey on top of Ritz Crackers with cream cheese (or any soft cheese).
• Dip pretzels in honey for a quick sweet-and-salty snack.

Are you tired of the same foods?

The items in your pantry and freezer might seem like old news, but here are some All-it-needed-was-a-little-bit-of-honey Recipes you’ll absolutely love.

• Honey + Frozen Veggies = Honey Garlic Carrots and Asparagus
• Honey + Chicken = Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos 
• Honey + Pasta = Spicy Honey-Garlic Pasta
• Honey + Toast = Homemade Honey Butter with Cinnamon

Are you snacking all day?

The snacking struggle is real, especially when you’re home all day and they’re easily accessible. So here are some tasty Don’t-eat-that-entire-bag-of-chips Snack Recipes that you can try out instead.

• Green Goddess Dip for Veggies
• Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Honey-kissed Parfait
• Honey Granola

Do you need an energy boost? 

If you’re tired from taking care of the kiddos all day, or if you just need a boost to get you up and moving around, here are some Give-me-the-strength-to-go-on Recipes you’ll want to add to your daily routine.

• Fruit Smoothies 
• No-bake Energy Bites
• Honey Nut Bars
• Salted Honey Caramel Popcorn 

Are the kids at home all day? 

If you’re one of those parents who has to entertain your children all day, here are some great This-will-be-fun-and-also-kill-some-time Children-friendly Recipes. You’re welcome. 

• Banana Peanut Butter and Honey Roll-ups
• Two-minute Toast Ideas
• Sandwich Kabobs
• Fruit Torte … This recipe comes with a printable activity sheet, too!

If you like all of these recipe ideas and you want more, we’ve got hundreds on our site. Check out all of our recipes now. 

Spicy Honey-Garlic Pasta

Ingredients

1 package (16 ounces) angel hair pasta

2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a skillet, sauté the garlic in butter for 1 minute.

Then stir in the Aunt Sue’s® honey, Italian seasoning and dried red pepper flakes. 

Next, drain your pasta and add the noodles directly to your garlic mixture. Toss until pasta is fully coated.

Plate your pasta and add some Parmesan cheese on top.

Earning His Wings

Beekeeper Bryan Beekman is at one with his honeybees

Bryan Beekman has only one regret as a beekeeper.

“I wish I could fly like a bee,” says the third-generation honeybee farmer, as he stands on his family’s 68-acre homestead in Sanger, Calif., a town of about 24,000 just outside of Fresno.

“Being in the bee business your whole life, it’s only natural to start thinking like a honeybee. It’s funny to say that, but when you’re working with the bees, you have a tendency to try to understand how they think and what they do, and their temperaments. 

“Over the years, it forces you to think like they do so you can work with them together as one. I don’t know if that sounds weird, but that’s just what happens when you’ve been around them your whole life.”

Like other lifelong beekeepers among the Sioux Honey Association Co-op’s family of 200+ members, Bryan has a close relationship with his bees. It’s in his name, after all.

“You can’t communicate with them, so you always have to try your hardest to do what’s right for them,” he says.

“I always try to leave the bee yard knowing when I drive away, that I did the best I could for the situation. I learned from day one: It doesn’t matter how tired, and hot, and sweaty, and thirsty you are, you don’t leave that yard until you’re done doing what you think is right for the bees.”

If you find yourself saying, “Geez, this Beekman guy really takes beekeeping seriously,” you’re right. It’s an attitude and a devotion that has made Beekman Apiaries one of the most successful honey collection operations in Southern California, and one of the leading beekeepers on the Sioux Honey co-op team.

Three generations … and counting

Bryan’s grandfather, Jack Beekman collected the first hive for the family business. Jack was a dairy farmer at the time – 1929 – and just happened to find a swarm of bees on his farm.

Jack corralled the swarm and then went to the library and checked out a book on beekeeping. The Beekmans added more and more hives on their farm and eventually made a business out of it. During World War II, the honey business took off when sugar was rationed. The production of honey – a natural replacement to sugar – increased significantly and Beekman Apiaries grew its business to meet demand.

Jack Beekman had three sons who took over the family’s honeybee business. Bryan’s father, Bill, eventually sold his share of the operation to his brothers, whom Bryan eventually bought out when he got into the honey business.

Bryan and his brother, Brett, were given hives to run as boys. By the time he was 13, Bryan had saved $3,000 from honey proceeds and decided to go all-in. He spent the money on new hives and equipment.

“I spent my whole summer when I was 13 just putting together boxes and frames, and painting them,” Bryan said. “Then that next spring, we went out and filled them up with bees.”

Bryan went to college and earned an Applied Science degree and worked as an air conditioner repairman for a brief period before returning to his bees full time. He partnered with his two uncles, who mentored him and helped him grow the business. Bryan eventually bought them out and is now the sole owner of Beekman Apiaries. He said he expects his son Brad, who studied at California Polytechnic State University, to be the fourth generation of Beekman beekeepers.

Building a honey and pollination business

Today, Beekman Apiaries has 10 full-time employees and operates more than 10,000 hives in the Fresno County area.

“I’m not the biggest beekeeper in California, and I don’t really care to be the biggest beekeeper,” Bryan said. “That doesn’t thrill me to be able to say that. I might be in the top five in California.

“I keep growing more and more every year because of the demand for almond pollination in California.”

The business of using honeybees to pollinate crops in California – especially within the almond industry – has grown significantly in recent years. The increase in demand for almonds has helped keep honey farmers in the state stay in business during several years of record drought and recent declines in the honeybee population nationwide, both of which have contributed to below-average honey production.

Bryan said that, prior to the drought, his apiary produced much more honey than it has in recent years. But the demand from almond farmers to “rent” beekeepers’ hives to pollinate their crops has kept his business thriving.

Proud to be a member of the Sioux Honey co-op

Bryan has been a member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op for the past 15 years, something that he had aspired to do since becoming a full-time beekeeper.

“I always knew of Sioux Honey, and I knew other commercial beekeepers growing up that were Sioux Honey members,” he said. “I always kind of wanted to be a member. It was always kind of like an elite group of beekeepers.

“I noticed when I was younger, the beekeepers that were Sioux Honey members, they always seemed to have their act together a lot more, and just always seemed to do better. It’s kind of like the Cadillac of beekeepers, getting picked to be a member. That’s kind of how I feel the association is. I think a lot of the members feel that way, too.”

While the pollination business has been lucrative and has helped keep Beekman Apiaries growing in recent years, it’s still all about the honey for Bryan. For him, there’s no other experience quite like it.

“One of the things I enjoy the most is being out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night because we move the bees at night,” Bryan said, standing next to one of the rusted-out vintage trucks that he has collected and spread across his property over the years.

“You’ll be on these hillsides in the middle of nowhere on the coastal ranges, and it’s 2 a.m. in the morning, and you’ll smell things that you don’t usually smell. You’ll see and hear all the different animals that are out at night. We move bees until the sun comes up, so we experience the whole spectrum. And it’s not just once in a while; it’s nightly.”

Bryan says they’ll move the bees to places that will produce the varieties of honey they like to collect – from orange groves for orange blossom honey to sage, eucalyptus and alfalfa.

“The sage is in the wild, in the mountain areas on the coastal ranges, and so we truck the bees over to the coast and put them out for the sage over there,” he said.

“We go to different locations all over the state, so we see all kinds of different things, different areas, different animals. It really makes this a special life.”

Still … if only he could fly.

Amber Waves of Honey

Sioux Honey member Jane Collins loves the independence of beekeeping

A couple of old, World War II-era tractors with metal bucket seats – rust intact, but running just fine – sit parked on a sprawling dirt lot. 

“I just used that one to plow a garden yesterday; still works great,” Marvin Collins says proudly.

Across the way in an open shed, a vintage Bass Tracker fishing boat waits for an impromptu getaway to a nearby lake. There’s a Jeep off to the side whose days of hard work are far behind it, and another woodshed with a variety of tools – some considered antiques – where gadgets are fabricated and put to use … the list goes on.

It all adds up to a beautiful slice of red-white-and-blue. In this case, the American pie belongs to the Collins family who have been beekeeper members of the Sioux Honey® Co-op for the past 40-plus years.

Carrying on the beekeeper tradition of independence

In the middle of this setting from yesteryear is a contemporary building that houses modern equipment used for storing empty wooden hives, as well as machinery used for extracting honey. It’s the “honey house” where the family business is conducted.

Running the show is Jane Collins, the daughter-in-law to Marvin. Jane took over after her husband, Daniel, passed away. And, like a lot of beekeepers, Jane can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I love being outside in the pastures, and in the woods. It’s peaceful. It’s unlike anything else, and there’s always something new around the corner. And the honey, the gorgeous, golden honey …”

Those are the good days. And there are lots of them, no doubt. But being a beekeeper is challenging. It’s hard work, and you have to be resilient, tough and dedicated to a life as a farmer. That’s what Jane considers herself to be – a farmer whose livestock is the honeybees, and the crop is the honey.

And like many farmers, weather can wreak havoc on their livelihood.

In Jane’s area, that comes in the form of tidal surges from hurricanes that destroy their hives – thousands of them. Sometimes Jane’s hive count is cut in half – sometimes completely wiped out. Specifically by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Jane had to start over from scratch and rebuild the lost colonies. 

The back-breaking hard work, the stings, traveling from beeyard to beeyard, back and forth, back and forth, over across the 100-mile radius, over and over … none of that makes Jane want to do anything but collect hive after hive, frame after frame, of the light, golden amber honey that her bees in the Evadale area make while foraging on tallow trees.

For Jane, and other Sioux Honey® beekeepers, it boils down to independence.

“I’m my own boss. No one’s hollering at me to get somewhere else or do this or do that. And there’s something always going on that you haven’t seen before. It’s really interesting,” she says.

Keeping Daniel’s dream alive and well

Jane’s husband, Daniel, started keeping bees as a hobby when he was a teenager. 

“He started out with rabbits, but then he wanted some bees, so we got him some bees,” Marvin says. “We got them out of the Sears, Roebuck catalog; you could order bees then.

“And then he just kept building, building. He learned from some of the northern beekeepers who would bring their bees to Texas in the winter. He learned to split hives, to build more. He also bought a really thick book, thick, and read that cover to cover. He was just really interested in it.”

Marvin watched and helped when he could. He worked full-time for Goodyear Chemical. Daniel later learned the carpentry trade and made that his fulltime job until he had added enough hives to make the honey business a full-time endeavor. 

A friend of the family told Daniel and Marvin about the Sioux Honey® Co-op, so they were familiar with it and were interested in joining if their business grew to the point where Daniel could make a career of collecting honey.

“Daniel kept growing it. He was making his own boxes for the hives; he just kept building them, more and more,” says Marvin. 

“He realized if he could just make a little more honey, he could be doing it full time and making just as much money as he was by doing carpentry. So, he decided he would increase his hives. I think we had about 350, 400 hives then. He increased it to about 600 hives or 650 – somewhere in there. That’s when he started doing it full time and he just … gradually he just added more equipment.”

And soon after, a membership with Sioux Honey

Daniel joined Sioux Honey in 1982, and the Collins family has been members ever since.

“For me, it’s the best of both worlds,” Jane says. “We’re all independent beekeepers. We all work for ourselves, but we’re all a part of something that’s bigger than just one individual. We’re all owners. We have ownership in the company, and that means everything to me to belong to Sioux Honey.”

Daniel passed away in 2015. Since then, Jane has been running the operation. Her two sons are allergic to bee stings, so she hires help.

Proud to be a member of Sioux Honey

Sioux Honey provides the barrels and as soon as they are filled, Sioux Honey picks them up and takes the honey to their Iowa collection center where the honey is tested for quality. If it meets Sioux Honey’s high standards, it is bottled and sent to a grocery store near you.

Jane’s honeybees collect nectar from mostly tallow trees in her area. The rest is a wide variety of wildflowers that are scattered all over southern Texas.

“I’ve had more people say that our honey tastes better than any other local honey,” Jane says proudly.

And she says she’s even more proud to be able to contribute that honey to the Sioux Honey membership.

“They’re such a wonderful group to work with. Sioux Honey really cares about their members, and they really care about the quality of the honey, too. Sioux tests our honey – all the honey they collect from the member beekeepers – and makes sure our standards are the best. Like I said, we have the best-tasting honey.

“Am I biased? Yes, but I’m also right.”

7 reasons why Sue Bee® Honey should bee your go-to condiment

Pass the honey, please

Who are the usual suspects when it comes to condiments on your dinner table? Salt is often a go-to. And its mate, pepper. Maybe ketchup makes a regular appearance. Or, for those with a spicy-loving palate, perhaps a jalapeno-fueled sauce. 

And then there’s sugar. Maybe it’s out of habit. Maybe it’s something you’ve “always had.” Either way, the time has come to replace it. There’s a better substitute.

You probably know where this is going, and you’re right. The replacement is none other than our all-time favorite – nature’s gift to humans: honey. Indeed, the time has come for Sue Bee® honey to take its rightful place at the dinner table, and here are seven reasons why:

No. 1 – We prefer it over sugar

Highly refined and over-processed items are not welcome at our dinner table. So we substitute sugar with our preferred sweetener, Sue Bee® honey. (Serendipitously, you can shop for it from home!)

No. 2 – Tasty in tea and coffee

Adding Sue Bee® honey to your coffee or tea makes your taste buds do a happy dance. Honey is nature’s sweetener, and it blends so well – not just with a warm cup of coffee or tea, but also in a fresh batch of sun tea. Stir it in and experience pure joy! (If you’re feeling adventurous, try our Honey Lemon Green Tea.)

No. 3 – Sizzles up salads

Having a salad? Have you ever drizzled a dash of Sue Bee® honey on your greens? If you’re not shaking your head in a vigorous yes-yes-yes motion, it’s time to try it. (Give it a taste with our Honey-Lime Fruit and Quinoa Salad recipe.)

No. 4 – Tames spicy food

Temper the spice of traditional Buffalo-style wings (and any spicy dish, for that matter) or give that BBQ chicken a delicious zest. (Try our Oven-Fried Honey BBQ Chicken Wings or our Honey-Baked Chicken Wings recipes.)

No. 5 – Perfect for dunking pizza crusts

When it’s pizza night, honey should be within arm’s reach. One word: crust. Ever dipped that doughy goodness in honey? Dunked or drizzled, either way, a little Sue Bee® honey is perfect for those often-uneaten pizza crusts. (P.S., if you want a no-leftovers recipe for homemade pizza, try our simple and easy-to-make Greek Naan Pizza.)

No. 6 – Great for homemade bread

While we’re talking about that wheat-and-flour blend of heaven known as bread – a mainstay on dinner tables across America – let’s make a case for why Sue Bee® honey should be right there with it. Olive oil? Butter? We prefer fewer calories at our dinner table, so we dip our rolls in that golden goodness from our pollinator friends, the honeybees. (We even have a delectable recipe for Honey Whole Wheat Bread.)

No. 7 – It lasts and lasts and lasts …

Obviously, we could go on and on justifying honey’s daily presence on your dinner table, but we’ll wrap this round up with Reason No. 7 as to why Sue Bee® honey should be your go-to condiment at the dinner table:

Shelf life.

Honey doesn’t have an expiration date, and it doesn’t spoil. Need proof? How about this historical nugget: When the tomb of King Tut (1341–1323 BC) was excavated in 1922, a jar of honey was found. And it was still edible. The honey had crystalized, but crystallization doesn’t mean the honey has gone bad. Some people even prefer crystallized honey. To each their own. But if you want it more traditional style, set the jar of crystallized honey in a bowl of warm-to-hot water and voila! Back to a liquid state and ready to enjoy.

Hair + Honey?

Um, YES – and egg and mayonnaise, too. Seriously!

OK, OK, we hear you. You’re skeptical. But really, this DIY hair treatment is super popular. Do a Google search for “honey egg and mayonnaise for hair” and look at all the recipes that pop up for this at-home concoction.

Wait! No need to Google that. We have the best recipe right here on SiouxHoney.com. And its not-so-secret ingredient? Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey! Our beekeeper members who have tried this combination notice that their hair has a little extra shine and is noticeably softer. 

Will it work on your hair? There’s only one way to find out! Try our Honey Egg Hair Mask.

Guess the State Giveaway Rules

SIOUX HONEY ASSOCIATION CO-OP (SHAC) OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES

NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: This giveaway is only open to legal residents of the United States who are 18 years or older as of the date of entry and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of SHAC, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and suppliers, (collectively the “Employees”), and immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of Employees are not eligible to participate in the giveaway. The giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, the Contestant (“You”) agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and You represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, You agree to accept the decisions of SHAC as final and binding as it relates to the giveaway and these Rules.

3. Campaign Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on April 8, 2020 and ending April 14, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, April 14, 2020.

4. How to Enter: To enter, You must correctly guess the state the beekeeper is located in. The entry must fulfill all giveaway requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of SHAC. You may enter only once. You must provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If You use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of SHAC.

5. Prizes: The Winner(s) of the giveaway (the “Winner”) will receive a bottle of Aunt Sue’s Raw & Unfiltered Honey. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by SHAC. No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted. No substitution of prize or request for the cash equivalent by the Winner is permitted. No transfer/assignment of prize to others is permitted unless the Winner does not respond to contact by SHAC within one week of initial contact. At that point, another Winner will be chosen. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for SHAC to use Winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purpose of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.

7. Winner Selection and Notification: The Winner will be selected by a random drawing under the supervision of SHAC. The Winner will be notified by a comment and/or message within five (5) days following selection of the Winner. SHAC shall have no liability for the Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk email or other security settings or for the Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the Winner cannot be contacted or is ineligible, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner selected. Receipt by the Winner of the prize offered in this giveaway is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY THE WINNER (AT SHAC’s SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN THE WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY, AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS THE WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.

8. Rights Granted by You: By entering this giveaway, You understand and agree that SHAC or anyone acting on behalf of SHAC and SHAC’s licensees, successors, and assigns, shall have the right, where permitted by law, to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use in any media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity and throughout the World, without limitation, your entry, name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image, statements about the giveaway, and biographical information for news, publicity, information, trade, advertising, public relations, and promotional purposes without any further compensation, notice, review, or consent. By entering this content, You represent and warrant that your entry does not violate any third party’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. If your entry infringes upon the intellectual property right of another, You will be disqualified at the sole discretion of SHAC. If the content of your entry is claimed to constitute infringement of any proprietary or intellectual proprietary rights of any third party, You shall, at your sole expense, defend or settle against such claims. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SHAC from and against any suit, proceeding, claims, liability, loss, damage, costs or expense which SHAC may incur, suffer, or be required to pay arising out of such infringement or suspected infringement of any third party’s right.

9. Terms & Conditions: SHAC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign should virus, bug, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other cause beyond SHAC’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Campaign. In such case, SHAC may select the Winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by SHAC. SHAC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Campaign or website or violates these Terms & Conditions. SHAC has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Campaign, to void votes for any reason, including, but not limited to: multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by Campaign rules; or the use of bots, macros, scripts, or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Campaign may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such attempt be made, SHAC reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

10. Limitation of Liability: SHAC and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, and directors shall have no responsibility for any liability (including tax liability), illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from: (i) such entrant’s participation in the Campaign and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to, the malfunction of any computer, cable, network, hardware, software, or other mechanical equipment; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, telephone, or internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.

11. Disputes: THIS GIVEAWAY IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF IOWA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Campaign, participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Campaign shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Iowa having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall participant be permitted to obtain awards for and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Campaign). Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

12. Copy of Rules/Winners List: To obtain a copy of the Winner’s name or a copy of these Official Rules, mail your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Bozell, 2215 Harney St, Omaha, NE 68102. Requests must be received no later than April 16, 2020, 12:00 p.m. CST.

13. Sponsor: The Sponsor of the giveaway is Sioux Honey Association Co-op, 301 Lewis Blvd, Sioux City, IA 51101.

14. Facebook: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook.

Sue Bee® Honey French Toast Bites

Ingredients

1 loaf of French bread, unsliced

4 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup Sue Bee® honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Cut the bread into cubes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and Sue Bee® honey. (Note: You can melt the honey in the microwave for 20 seconds first if that helps.)

Add the salt and cinnamon to the bowl and mix.

Dip the cubed bread into the egg mixture, making sure to coat all sides.

Place the dipped bread cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Broil on one side for 3 minutes. Then flip the bites and broil for another 3 minutes. (Keep in mind that, with a broiler, the process can take less than 3 minutes per side. Just toast so they crisp but do not burn.)