Sue Bee® Spirits
Honey-spiced drink recipes for holiday cheer
Family and friends will soon gather in homes across America to give thanks and celebrate the holidays by toasting to togetherness and good health. To assist in raising those toasts, we have collected five of our most popular drink recipes that are made with our favorite ingredient: Sue Bee® honey – including a non-alcoholic beverage that the entire family can enjoy.
The Bee’s Knees
The Bee’s Knees cocktail came about during prohibition in the 1920s. Because most of the homemade (and illegal) spirits of the time were harsh-tasting and made poorly – in the case of the Bee’s Knees, they used “bathtub gin” – mixing in sweet and flavorful ingredients helped hide the bitter taste of the gin. And they used honey instead of sugar as the sweetener, as well as lemon to add zest.
The phrase “bee’s knees” means “fantastic,” and originated during a time of other silly sayings, like “the cat’s whiskers,” “the cat’s pajamas” and “the canary’s tusks.” The more you know!
Ready to try the Bee’s Knees?
Ingredients
2 oz gin
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz Sue Bee® honey syrup
Lemon twist, for garnish
Ingredients for Honey Syrup
1/2 cup Sue Bee® honey
1/2 cup water
Directions for Honey Syrup
Add 1/2 cup Sue Bee® honey and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan.
Warm over medium heat. Stir until blended. Strain into a jar.
Directions for Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Add all of the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with lemon twist.
Hibernating Sue Bee® Bear
Here’s a smooth, wintery cocktail that presents a perfect balance between earthy ingredients.
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz bourbon
3/4 oz Honey & Sage Syrup
1 orange peel
1 sprig fresh sage
Directions for cocktail
Add all ingredients to mixer with ice. Shake well and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with orange pee and sage leaf.
Honey & Sage Syrup
Ingredients
3/4 cup Sue Bee® honey
1 cup water
Fresh sage leaves
Directions for syrup (makes enough for three to four drinks)
In medium sauce pan, bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce hear and simmer for three minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Blackberry and Rosemary Sour
Looking for a new drink to add to your before-dinner cocktails? This Blackberry and Rosemary Sour, made with our Herbed Honey Simple Syrup, is a popular choice.
Ingredients
2 oz bourbon or whiskey
1.5 oz fresh lemon juice
1.5 oz Sue Bee® Herbed Honey Simple Syrup (see recipe below)
1/4 cup crushed fresh blackberries
1 rosemary sprig
Club soda to top
Directions for Blackberry and Rosemary Sour
Stir all ingredients together to combine, then pour into an old-fashioned glass with crushed ice.
Garnish with rosemary sprig if desired.
Herbed Honey Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup Sue Bee® honey
1 cup water
Peel from one lemon
2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Stirring constantly, heat to almost a boil.
Strain, and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Honey Mulled Wine
Impress your guests with this fresh holiday cocktail that they’re sure to love.
Ingredients
1 bottle dry red wine
1/3 cup Sue Bee® honey
10 black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, broken
5 grains cardamom
5 grains of paradise
1 whole star anise
1 orange, sliced
1/3 cup brandy
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat.
Bring to a slow simmer and taste.
Add more honey if desired, and serve.
Spiced Honey Apple Cider
Fall means crisp air, beautiful colors, the sound of crunching leaves and of course, apple cider. Warm up with our Spiced Honey Apple Cider … perfect for the whole family to enjoy together!
Ingredients
1/4 cup Sue Bee® honey
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp lemon juice
8 whole cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups apple cider
Directions
In a 2-quart saucepan, combine Sue Bee® honey, water, lemon juice, cloves and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil.
Stir in cider and heat through.
Serve hot.
Bee Whisperer
The hive that started it all
Darrel Rufer was a seasoned chef at a fine-dining restaurant in Minneapolis when a bevy of bees changed his life forever. It was 1977, and he had just finished the midday lunch rush.
“I walked out of the restaurant and there was a swarm of bees hanging in the tree outside,” he says. “I put my motorcycle helmet on, put my t-shirt up over my face, shook the bees into a box and strapped them to the back of my motorcycle, and I took them home.”
Next stop, a nearby department store.
“Back then, you could buy bee equipment at Montgomery Ward, so I drove to St. Paul, went to Montgomery Ward, got the bee equipment and came home. That was my first year in beekeeping. I didn’t expect it. I wasn’t looking for it. It went from a hobby to commercial beekeeping in less than a year.”
Today, Rufer’s Apiaries, Inc., is a thriving member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op, with thousands of colonies of honeybees in Minnesota and South Dakota. Darrel and Cathy have been named Beekeepers of the Year by the Minnesota Honey Producers Association, as well as served on the association’s board. And now “Big Dog,” as Darrel is known, has not one but four motorcycles!
“This business was not built just by me,” Darrel says. “It was built by my family. It was built by my brother, my sons, my wife, different employees over the years. Nothing is done just by yourself.
“It’s like the bees – these bees don’t belong to me; I’m just here taking care of them. I would imagine that there are a lot of people in agriculture who have the same feelings … that what they’re doing is shepherding their flock. And it just so happens my flock is honeybees, and I have to take care of them.”
Joining the Sioux Honey co-op
For the first 25 years of beekeeping, Darrel was an independent beekeeper. But in 2003, he decided to join the Sioux Honey co-op.
“The decision to join Sioux Honey was the biggest decision I’ve had to make in the honey business,” says Darrel. My dad had worked for operations that were Sioux, and I knew them. And so my wife and I decided we wanted to go with Sioux Honey.
“Now I would never go back. I’m very proud to be a Sioux Honey producer. It’s produced by American beekeepers, American families, generations of families who produce a high-quality product. Sue Bee is synonymous with quality and with values – high values – and so it’s been a privilege and a pleasure to be a Sioux Honey member. I’m more than happy. And if you can make me happy, then you’re doing a pretty darn good job.”
In Minnesota, the Rufers produce what is called a poly-floral, multi-floral honey. “It can be alfalfa, clover, some sweet clover – the best,” Darrel says.
In South Dakota, most of the honey is sweet clover. “South Dakota clover honey is like … well, it’s unbelievable.”
A successful business plan
“I had this dream about creating this beekeeping business and my dream was realized … and I recently asked Cathy what her dream was … I’m going to get weepy. Even though I’m the Big Dog, I got a big heart. And she said, ‘Your dream became my dream.’”
Cathy has assisted with accounting over the years for Rufer’s Apiaries, and Darrel’s brother, Terry, worked for him for 25 years before recently retiring. Now Darrel’s son, Jason, is being groomed to take over the business after trying his hand at other professions.
Jason helped with beekeeping on his family’s apiary in high school but chose automotive school after graduating and spent several years working in the automotive industry. Darrel says that Jason approached him a few years ago about returning to the family business.
Over the course of a motorcycle trek through Montana and South Dakota, Darrel and Jason talked about the honeybee business during stops along the ride. Darrel’s most important question to Jason was: Are you ready to commit to being a beekeeper?
“Beekeeping is a hard job,” says Darrel. “There are no days off. When it’s time to work, you have to work. You have to take care of the bees, you have to have a lot of drive to keep your bees alive, otherwise the bees will not be able to take care of you.
“I know a lot of Sioux Honey members, and they’re all the same. It’s not about seeing how much money you can make, or how fast. Beekeeping is not big agriculture. Beekeeping is big families. A lot of brothers, sons, dads, grandfathers. That’s why it’s a generational thing. It’s a lifestyle.”
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 November 19, 2020 and ending November 23, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, November 23, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must guess the correct state within the comments. 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 November 23, 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/Instagram: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
Don’t Worry Bee Happy 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 November 2, 2020 and ending November 5, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, November 5, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must comment what you are thankful for on the giveaway post. 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 “Don’t Worry, Bee Happy” photo, a Queen Bee coffee mug and a bottle of Sue Bee Clover 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 November 5, 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/Instagram: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
Winter Skin Hydration
When dry air moves in, try our Aunt Sue’s® Dry Skin Moisturizer
Cold weather spurs dry air, which can lead to dry skin. And that’s no fun. In fact, dry, cracked skin can be downright uncomfortable. Our skin needs moisture to stay healthy and strong, so when Jack Frost comes knocking, we answer the door with a batch of our go-to skin hydration concoction: Aunt Sue’s® Dry Skin Moisturizer.
It’s a quick and easy recipe with three simple ingredients: olive oil, lemon juice and Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey.
Aunt Sue’s® Dry Skin Moisturizer
Ingredients
1 tbsp Aunt Sue’s® Raw & Unfiltered Honey
1 tsp olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
Directions
Mix honey, olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl.
Apply lotion to dry areas and let sit for 20 minutes.
Wipe off with a warm washcloth.
Repeat as needed.
Lee’s Bees
Sioux Honey beekeeper falls into the honey business
Some people think beekeepers are a little cracked in the head. Why else would someone want to work with hundreds of thousands of insects that sting them on a regular basis?
It’s natural to think, “He must have been dropped on his head!”
Lee Albritton’s answer: “That’s exactly what happened.”
“I was trimming some trees in a front-end loader bucket at our farm, and I fell out of the bucket and landed on my head and broke my neck,” the Florida-based beekeeper says. “With that kind of injury, I wasn’t sure what I was going to be able to do.”
Lee – a member of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op since 1994 – had a few beehives on his vegetable farm just outside of Gainesville, Florida. He had been using them to pollinate his squash when a friend suggested he take the bees to south Florida’s orange groves, before he needed them to pollinate his squash crop.
“I had 11 hives, back in 1987, so we took them down to the orange groves. A few days later, I fell and broke my neck.
“I really hadn’t intended to make the bees a business, but then I had the accident and … well, I just sort of fell into it,” Lee said with a laugh.
After Lee’s neck healed, he drove south to pick up his hives from the orange groves. In his absence, the bees had not only provided the pollination services needed, they had also created several hundred pounds of the area’s highly coveted orange blossom honey.
“I thought, ‘Well, that’s kind of neat – they made honey without me being there.’ And the great thing is, honey isn’t perishable like my vegetables. But with my neck, I wasn’t sure it was something I would be able to pursue.”
Of course, Lee had to learn a lot more about the art of beekeeping. It was the late 1980s, so it wasn’t as if he could hop on the internet, go to YouTube and type in “how to be a beekeeper.”
“But I knew an older gentleman who knew all about beekeeping,” Lee said. “And that’s what you had to do prior to the internet; you had to ask someone older than you who knew how to do something. Or read it in a book.”
A new career begins
Lee’s parents were originally from Jacksonville, Florida, and his father was a career serviceman in the Air Force. After retirement, Lee’s parents moved back to Florida – this time settling in the Gainesville area.
Lee attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he studied animal science. His intention at that time was to have a career in the cattle business, and he still has a few cows on his property in Alachua, Florida, about 16 miles northwest of Gainesville.
As time went on, Lee acquired more hives and eventually had the opportunity to join the Sioux Honey Association Co-op, an opportunity he jumped at.
“Joining Sioux Honey was such a positive thing for us,” Lee says. “Right away, it solved logistic problems. They make it so easy to transport our honey to be bottled.”
The best part of being a Sioux Honey member, Lee says, is the sense of ownership.
“You feel like it’s your bottling company. I go into grocery stores here in Florida, and people maybe see my shirt and they say, ‘Oh, so you make honey.’
“You can tell them that there may be five to 10 products in that grocery store that are essentially my honey. So it’s nice to be able to say that. You do feel like you own that.”
Can’t imagine another way of life
Lee’s honey business – which he affectionately calls “Lee’s Bees” – is flourishing now and includes four full-time employees who help with everything from pollination services and placing hives in various foraging locations to honey extracting and queen-bee rearing.
Raising queen bees to sell to other beekeepers so they can create new hives has become a significant part of Lee’s bee business.
“My dad also helps out with the business,” says Lee. “He does all of our record keeping. He’s 88 and still goes to the farm and checks on our cows and does those kinds of things.”
Lee’s five children have gone different routes in life with their careers. He said two of them have allergies to honeybee stings, so that prevented them from being involved.
“I’ve got to work on a succession plan, actually. I have sort of a plan, but it probably won’t be one of my family members,” Lee says.
However, that won’t happen anytime soon. For now, Lee is enjoying doing something he always wanted to do: Work with animals. It just so happened that it ended up being a different kind of livestock.
“It’s interesting to deal with a stinging insect daily to make your living. That’s an odd occupation,” Lee says. “But it’s amazing what they can do – what the bees can do. How much they can gather; how quick they can do it.
“And we’re outside every day, in various settings. Not many jobs allow you to do that. Even most normal farms … you’re stuck on the same farm. But with the honey business, you’re moving around to different places.
“It’s so beautiful in the orange groves when they are blooming. The smell is tremendous. The bees are doing well, so you feel productivity is happening. It feels good.”
Jack-o’-Lantern Treasure
Save those seeds and make a tasty Halloween treat
You scoop and you scoop and you scoop. When it comes to making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween time, there’s a LOT of that. All those pumpkin seeds and “slimy pumpkin guts,” as the kids say, need to be scooped out to make room for carving and, later, a candle or light.
You can throw away those “guts,” but save the seeds because we have the tastiest recipe for honey-roasted pumpkin seeds that you have ever tried. They make an irresistible, sweet-and-salty snack that your friends and family will gobble up. And if you want them spicy, use our SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Hot Honey instead!
Ingredients
1/4 cup AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey
3 cups fresh pumpkin seeds, cleaned
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp smoked salt
Kosher salt for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Spread out seeds on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20–30 minutes, or until slightly crunchy.
In a large mixing bowl, mix AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey, butter, brown sugar and smoked salt until well-combined.
Add hot pumpkin seeds to mixing bowl and mix well until all of the seeds are thoroughly coated.
Return the seeds to the baking sheet and spread in a single layer.
Bake for 5–10 minutes, until sauce begins to caramelize on the seeds.
Remove seeds from oven and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt to taste; stir and let cool on the pan.
Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Halloween Hounds
Don’t forget your furry friends for trick-or-treating fun
We love dressing up as honeybees for Halloween, and fellow trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood are always impressed with our costumes. You might say they create quite a buzz …
Dad jokes aside, we do enjoy celebrating our favorite insect during Halloween season. And we like to get our four-legged friends in on the fun, too. We even dress them up – as bees, of course!
You can find all sorts of honeybee costumes for pets online. We found the one pictured below on Amazon. With one- and two-day shipping, there’s still plenty of time to have a bee costume for your pooch delivered for Halloween. You can order the one we got for our pup HERE.
Treats for doggies
Whether you celebrate Halloween at home this year or venture out into your neighborhood, your furry family members can join in on the fun. But when it comes to the treats, we certainly don’t want our pups to eat the same Halloween candy that humans eat – especially chocolates. So we bake up a batch of homemade doggy treats just for them.
Our Sue Bee® Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Pup Treats are fun to make and dogs love them. (Probably because Sue Bee® honey is one of the ingredients!)
We use fun, Halloween-themed cookie molds with these quick and easy-to-make treats. Here’s how:
Ingredients
1 tbsp Sue Bee® honey
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 medium eggs
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
½ cup canned pumpkin
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
Blend ingredients in large mixing bowl. To help make the dough more workable, you can add small amounts of water as you mix. The dough should be dry and stiff, but moldable.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
Roll dough into a half-inch-thick layer, use the Halloween cookie molds to cut into pieces and place on a baking pan. Put the pan in the oven and bake about 40 minutes until the treats are hard.
Remove from oven and let cool. Now it’s time for your pup to enjoy!
Hot Honey and Za? A-Ha!
Our beloved, ever-versatile hot honey goes with pizza in so many delicious ways
Sing with us: When you add honey – oh, my! – to a big pizza pie … that’s amore.
From dipping your pizza crust into a cup of hot honey to drizzling the golden goodness atop a pepperoni pie, honey and pizza has always been a popular combo. You can even bake honey right into your pizza crust to give it a mouthwatering flavor your friends and family can’t resist.
And because October is National Pizza Month, we thought this would be a fine time to share three of our favorite pizza recipes that use honey. Pizza and honey? Yes, for us, it most certainly is amore.
Hot Honey Goat Cheese Pizza
Ingredients
3 tbsp SUE BEE® Hot Honey
1 lb pizza dough, homemade or bought premade
2 tbsp shaved Parmesan
2 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
5 oz soft goat cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp chopped cashews
Olive oil for brushing on dough
Corn meal to sprinkle on pizza stone or baking sheet
Directions
Knead the dough into a thin crust on a floured surface. (Or, if you’re using a premade tube of pizza dough, just unroll the dough.) Let the dough sit for 5 minutes.
Place a pizza stone on a rack in the lower third of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F for at least 30 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a pizza pan or a thick baking sheet.
Brush dough top with olive oil. Use your fingertips to press down and make dents along the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil and then let rest another 5 minutes.
Add the crumbled goat cheese and cashews and top with Parmesan. Sprinkle corn meal on the pizza stone or baking sheet (careful, it’s hot!), slide the pizza onto it, put in the oven and cook for 6–8 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and top with the fresh sage and drizzle with SUE BEE® Hot Honey. Enjoy!
Hot Honey-Kissed Salami Pizza
Ingredients
4 tbsp SUE BEE® Hot Honey
1 lb pizza dough, homemade or bought premade
1 cup pizza sauce
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
5 slices provolone cheese
14 slices hard salami (cut thin)
Olive oil for brushing on dough
Corn meal for sprinkling on baking sheet
Directions
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Drizzle olive oil over the bottom of baking sheet. Sprinkle the cornmeal over the surface evenly and then press the pizza dough over the bottom of the baking sheet pan. Try to stretch the dough as thinly as possible.
Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust, then add the mozzarella over the top. Tear small pieces of the Provolone cheese and add it evenly over the mozzarella. Arrange the salami slices on top.
Bake the pizza for 12–15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown around the outside and the cheese is melted.
As soon as you take the pizza out of the oven, drizzle the hot honey over the salami pieces and the outer edges of the crust. Yum!
Homemade Hot Honey Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
2 tbsp SUE BEE® Hot Honey
1 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dry yeast (or pizza yeast)
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
In a bowl, combine water, oil and hot honey and set aside.
In a mixer with a dough hook (or large bowl and wooden spoon), combine the flour, yeast and salt. Add the water mixture and stir until it forms a soft ball. Knead the dough for about 2 or 3 minutes in the stand mixer or on a floured surface. The dough should be smooth and firm.
Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until the dough doubles in size.
Honey Drops
Cold season is upon us – try this homemade combo for coughs
Honey is a versatile, golden gift that keeps on giving, whether it is used in your favorite batch of grandma’s Apple-Oatmeal Cookies, in your morning coffee or even in a batch of homemade cough drops to help soothe a sore throat.
Scientists have been studying the medicinal properties of honey for several years to determine honey’s effect on things like burns, cuts and, yes, even the common cold. There have been a variety of reports released over the years, including a recently released study from BMJ (British Medical Journal). With research from physicians at Oxford University’s Medical School and Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, they analyzed existing evidence to determine how the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) responded to honey. URTIs are common cold-like illnesses that affect the nose, sinuses, pharynx or larynx.
“Researchers said honey was more effective in relieving the symptoms of cold and flu-like illnesses than the usual commercial remedies, and could provide a safer, cheaper and more readily available alternative to antibiotics,” said CNN.com.
“Honey has long been used as a home remedy for coughs, but its effectiveness in treating common illnesses has not been heavily researched.”
And speaking of coughs, have you tried making a batch of our “Sue Bee® Honey Cough Drops”? They are a sweet combination of honey, coconut and peppermint oil – and they are an oh-so-tasty treat.
Again, the BMJ study is one of many, but if you are curious, you can read more about their report at CNN.com,LiveScience.com or Medicalxpress.com.
https://ebm.bmj.com/content/early/2020/07/28/bmjebm-2020-111336
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-honey-treatment-upper-respiratory-tract.html
Bears, Mantises and, of Course, Bees
Chatting with a fifth-generation Sioux Honey beekeeping family
X-ray technologist. Auctioneer. Inspector. They all tried different vocations. But they didn’t take.
The only thing that stuck was something that flowed through their blood from the very beginning: honey. As any beekeeper will tell you, once it’s in your blood, that love of working with honeybees doesn’t leave.
Just ask the DeKornes, a fifth-generation family of Sioux Honey Association Co-op beekeepers based in Michigan.
Caleb DeKorne, part of generation number five, was a professional auctioneer before returning to the family business. He even attended an intensive auctioneering program at the prestigious World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa.
And he’s really good at it.
So good that he thinks he might even go back to auctioneering someday.
“He’ll come back to beekeeping … again,” says Caleb’s brother, Joe.
Joe should know. He returned to the family honey business after working for a handful of years as an x-ray technologist in a hospital emergency room.
“It’s in their blood – once you get it in your blood it’s hard to get it out,” says Dan DeKorne, dad to Joe and Caleb. “I mean, take Joe. He did x-rays for a while, but beekeeping was in his blood. He came back.”
For his part, Dan stayed closer to the family business. He worked as a Michigan State bee inspector before realizing that he, too, had a yearning to work with bees in the field and collecting honey – just like his dad and his dad’s dad.
“What’s not to like?” asks Jay, father to Dan. “You get to work for yourself, you’re out in nature. Just working with the bees … and the wonderful smell. You open a beehive and it just has this really nice smell. I love honey. I eat it every day.”
Dan – who now runs DeKorne Honey Farms based out of Kent City, Michigan – says he returned to the family business because he enjoyed working with his dad.
“Beekeeping offers independence,” Dan says. “I can be my own boss, and, with the bees, it’s always different. You’re not doing the same thing every day, day after day.
“Besides, when you’re the inspector, you’re not everyone’s favorite person. People don’t like you. But I always knew I would be a beekeeper, even before I was done with high school.”
A special kind of honey in Michigan
The DeKornes – members of the Sioux Honey co-op since 1964 when Jay joined – have always run bees in Michigan. The family currently oversees hives in northern Michigan, near Antrim and Charlevoix Counties.
The DeKornes get permission to place their hives on the properties, just like all beekeepers. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, as the bees help pollinate crops and other plants in those areas.
“We still place those hives with a handshake,” Dan says. “A handshake and a case of honey at the end of the season, just like we’ve always done.”
Their bees spend a lot of time feeding on basswood trees and star thistle, a non-native plant. “Some people call it knapweed; it’s probably the best honey plant we have in Michigan for bees,” says Dan, who became an official member of Sioux Honey in 1987 and whose son, Joe, joined in 2016.
Other nectar sources include a variety of florals, raspberries, blueberries, wild berries, fireweed and milkweed.
The result is a honey that is light and mild, and, of course, “it’s the best honey anywhere.”
Sioux Honey is happy to receive the DeKornes’ honey, and Dan says Sioux Honey – with more than 200 member beekeepers like himself – gives him peace of mind.
“That’s the whole reason I joined Sioux Honey,” adds Jay. “Sioux Honey is a great group of people to work with, and they’re fair in every way.”
Added Dan: “It’s not just a big company that we have to be at the mercy of … we’re a part of it. As a member of the Sioux Honey co-op, I can be independent but also be part of a team of people that have the same interest as us. And just hard-working families. Actual family farms, you know? Working together.”
It’s true, bears love honey
Modern beekeeping comes with many challenges that threaten the lives of honeybees: varroa mites; loss of forgeable land due to monoculture farming, as well as pesticides and herbicides that are harmful to bees; destruction of habitats that offer shelter for bees via forest fires, floods, tidal surges from hurricanes and other natural disasters.
Another threat to hives? Black bears. The increase in the honey-loving mammals in Michigan has led to the state offering assistance to its beekeepers by providing funding for fencing.
“Yeah, the bears love our honey, and there are a lot more bears in Michigan now than there used to be,” Dan says. “We’re putting a lot more electric fences around the hives all the time. They can do a lot of damage. They smash everything and eat all of our honey.”
Winters can be tough on bees, too, so a lot of commercial beekeepers have begun to winter their bees in southern climates. A lot of beekeepers also truck their bees to California in January and February to help with the pollination of almonds.
The sixth generation?
In just a few years, the sixth generation of DeKorne beekeepers will likely begin to work in the field with their dad, Joe. Joe and his wife, Elly, have six children – Nathaniel, Melanie, Madeline, Lynnette, Janae and Joel.
“They’ll be beekeepers soon enough,” says Joe.
And Caleb? Will he return to be an auctioneer again? Perhaps sooner than later if Joe keeps pranking him with praying mantises.
“He hates praying mantises,” says Dan. “We see them out in the field regularly.”
“Yeah, he REALLY hates them,” adds Joe.
“I just … I really can’t stand them,” confirms Caleb.
So, of course, that means that Joe finds ways to prank his brother. One of his all-time favorites was the day he added one of the eye-bulging insects to Caleb’s lunch.
“One day I took a praying mantis and I put it in his lunch box, and he didn’t know,” says Joe, giggling. “He went to get in his lunch box, and he had a little surprise.”
And then the chase was on. Caleb took off after Joe across a field.
Did Caleb catch him?
“No, I got winded too fast,” says Caleb. “I’ll get him back.”
We’re betting he will. Anyone want to place a bet? One dollar? We’ve got one dollar, one dollar, one dollar. Do we have two? Two dollar, two dollar, two dollar …
Spot the Differences 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 October 19, 2020 and ending October 22, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, October 22, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must guess at least one of the differences within the photos. 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 October 22, 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/Instagram: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
Fall 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 October 5, 2020 and ending October 8, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, October 8, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must tag a friend within the comments. 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, a bottle of Sue Bee Clover Honey, a blanket, four mugs and assorted candies. 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 October 8, 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. This giveaway is in no way endorsed or sponsored by Eddie Bauer, Mars Incorporated, The Hershey Company, Just Born or Tootsie Roll Industries.
14. Facebook/Instagram: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
Honey vs. Sugar
It’s no contest – honey wins every time
Here is another reason why honey should be your go-to condiment on your dining table: In our humble opinion, honey tastes better than sugar.
There. We said it. And yes, we’re biased. But we just can’t help but be overzealous about our favorite food. Honey is better in so many ways.
Honey vs. sugar?
It’s not a fair fight, really. How can any food compete with something that tastes so deliciously sweet? Honey wins every time, especially when compared to a food it so naturally replaces.
You’ve seen it on labels and advertisements for your favorite foods – “naturally sweetened with honey.” The switch to honey as a preferred sweetener has been taking place for several years and continues to increase, with more and more consumers requesting honey – in everything from teas and cereal to salad dressings and breads. If we held a popularity contest today, honey wins, spoons down.
What we know about sugar
Natural and added sugars are found in a wide variety of foods. Sugar is a calorie-rich ingredient that has little nutritional value on its own [1] [2]. Sugar is often added to processed foods to improve flavor, color, texture and shelf-life [3]. Consuming too much sugar has been associated with diabetes, tooth decay and poor cognitive functioning [4] [5] [6]. Harvard Health says too much added sugar can be one of the greatest threats to cardiovascular disease [7].
A natural choice
Sue Bee® honey comes naturally right from our 200+ beekeeper members’ hives. No additives, no preservatives. Honey doesn’t need it. There’s no shelf life on honey.
And honey is a better choice for baking, too. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you’ll need less of it. The general rule is, for every 1 cup of sugar use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of Sue Bee® honey. Other tips for baking with honey include:
Reduce liquids: Honey contains a small percentage of water, so when substituting honey in recipes that call for 1 cup or more of sugar, reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey.
Add baking soda: If the recipe doesn’t already call for it, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, which helps balance honey’s natural acidity to allow the baked good to rise properly. In cookie recipes using eggs, or in recipes with no other liquids, increase the flour by 2 tablespoons for each cup of honey.
Lower the temp: Honey caramelizes faster than granulated sugar, and therefore burns faster, so reduce the oven by 25 degrees.
More than baking
Of course, adding honey to baking recipes is just the beginning. Honey is our preferred choice for coffee, tea, salads, smoothies, grilling, cocktails, popcorn, tacos, soups … it’s an endless list, so be sure to bookmark our recipe section at SiouxHoney.com where you’ll find all sorts of fresh new ways to use honey in your kitchen.
[1] Men’s Fitness – http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/study-sugar-really-making-you-fat
[2] LiveStrong.com – https://www.livestrong.com/article/474832-recommended-grams-of-sugar-per-day/
[3] Science Daily – https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150818131807.htm
[4] Time – http://time.com/3380563/sugar-tooth-decay/
[5] GettingHealthier.com – http://gettinghealthier.com/the-harmful-effects-of-sugar
[7] Harvard Health – https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar
Sweet Heat
Add a zesty spice to your meals with these hot honey recipes
Honey in baking recipes, coffee and on peanut butter sandwiches are just a few of our favorite ways to eat honey. But what if you have a craving for something with a little zip – a bit of spicy zest for your palette?
Some like it hot, and for those who do, these tangy recipes are just for you.
Adding a spicy honey blend to your meals intensifies the flavor and slaps your taste buds on the back with a fine-and-dandy “How do you do?!” Spicy honey is ideal in marinades for chicken, pork or beef. It also deepens the flavor of everything from salads, veggies and pizza to homemade muffins and biscuits to spicy Buffalo wings and even ice cream (hot and cool!).
If all this is tickling your taste buds, keep reading. Below, we offer three of our favorite recipes for spicing up your Sue Bee® honey.
Honey Habenero
Ingredients
1 pound of Sue Bee® honey
6 habanero peppers chopped into medium-to-large pieces
6 small dried peppers, roughly chopped
Directions
Add chopped peppers and honey to a medium saucepan. Heat the honey and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes to infuse it with the pepper flavor and heat.
Remove the honey and let it cool to room temperature.
Pour the honey through a fine strainer. Set the peppers aside and save those for a snack later (candied peppers – yum!).
Store your spicy honey in a glass container and keep it in the refrigerator.
Thai Honey
Ingredients
1 cup Sue Bee® honey
3 Thai peppers, chopped fine
Directions
Add chopped Thai peppers to saucepan with Sue Bee® honey and simmer on low heat for one hour.
Remove from stove and let sit for one hour. Strain and transfer to glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Add your spicy concoction to all sorts of things. Did we mention fried chicken?
Super Simple Spicy Honey
Ingredients
1 cup Sue Bee® honey
Your favorite hot sauce (Tabasco, Sriracha, Cholula, etc.)
Directions
Combine cup of Sue Bee® honey and 8 teaspoons of your sauce of choice (make it 4 teaspoons of one and 4 teaspoons of another if you’d like). Microwave for 30 seconds and then stir it up. (You can also heat in a saucepan on stovetop.)
Store in a sealed container (glass jar, preferably) in the refrigerator.
Hive of Brothers
Oakley Honey keeps family beekeeping tradition alive and well
Toast, tea, grilled chicken, dog paws – these are just a few examples where honey can make all the difference.
Wait. Dog paws?
“Years ago, when I was much younger, we had a hunting dog – a bird dog – that had been penned up all year. We just hadn’t been able to get him out and really let him run very often that year,” says Jim Oakley, a second-generation beekeeper who, along with his brothers, Ron and John, are members of the Sioux Honey Association Co-op. When the Oakleys went pheasant hunting that season in Imperial Valley near their home in Lakeside, California, their dog, Adam, was so excited that he ran nearly nonstop the entire day. By the end of the afternoon, his paws were so worn that they had developed sores.
“So my dad took honey and rubbed it on the dog’s feet and put socks on his paws to keep the dog from licking the honey off,” Jim recalled. “He did that every day for a week.
“And it worked. By the end of the week, our dog’s paws had healed, and it was from using honey. It was hard to keep the dog from pulling the socks off to get to the honey, but it eventually healed him up.”
From hobby to business
Jim’s father, Tony Oakley, started keeping bees in the 1960s as a way to provide fresh honey for his family and a few friends. He learned about beekeeping from his father-in-law, who also had kept a few hives as a hobby.
“As things progressed, the number of bees grew, and so did the number of hives. Then he needed a new truck to move them around, and then he needed more bees to pay for the truck … You know, it just escalated,” Jim says.
“From there, we added a shop, and then he needed more bees again. Luckily, he had three boys that were cheap labor. We’d come home after school and have to put beehive frames and equipment together and wire stuff, you know, as soon as we were old enough.” By 1966, Oakley Honey Farms was a full-time business. That’s the year the Oakleys built their first warehouse. And that was also the same time they joined the Sioux Honey Association Co-op. The Oakleys have been members ever since.
Pollination services help honey business thrive
Like most beekeepers in California, Jim and his brothers rent their bees to area farmers to help pollinate everything from avocados and alfalfa to the lucrative business of California’s almond crops.
“In February and March, we take the bees to pollinate almonds,” Jim says. “They’re up there for about 30 days. Then we bring them back here and put them in the avocados. If we didn’t have the almonds, there really wouldn’t be too many commercial beekeepers in California.”
Jim’s brother Ron added, “Whether it be almonds or cranberries or another crop, you’ve got to supplement your honey business these days in California because of the droughts.”
The life of a beekeeper
The question most people ask when they meet a beekeeper? Easy. How often do you get stung by a bee?
John: “Daily.”
Ron: “All the time.”
Jim: “How many times depends on how angry or how calm they are on any given day.”
The next questions: Does it hurt? Do you get used to it?
“It hurts us just as much as it would hurt anyone else,” says Jim.
“It’s like being a welder or an electrician,” adds Ron. “If you’re a welder, you’re going to get burnt. If you’re an electrician, you’re going to get shocked. If you’re a beekeeper, you’re going to get stung. It’s just life. That’s the way it is.”
“Yesterday, we went out and pulled a load of honey, and I think I only got stung a couple times,” John says. “Some days, the bees couldn’t care less that you’re there. And then other days, you don’t get out of the truck hardly and they’re already stinging you. During the summer when they are making honey, they are happy. They couldn’t care less if you’re there. It’s in the fall, when there’s no honey coming in … that’s when they want to get a little picky.”
Which begs the question: Why do it? Why fight the droughts, the bee stings, the constant struggle to keep colonies healthy and vibrant, perpetually moving hives from crop to crop, field to field? In other words, what makes beekeeping so appealing?
“Working for yourself,” the three brothers say, simultaneously.
“What you put into it is what you’re going to get out of it,” continues Jim. “If you put in more effort, more time, usually you’re going get more honey out of it. Get more benefit out of it.”
The Oakleys compare beekeeping to farming.
“It’s just a different type of crop,” says Ron.
“Beekeeping is kind of like cattle ranching,” adds Jim. “They ranch cattle; we do bees.”
“A farmer plants his crop. Well, we kind of do the same thing when we go out in the spring and make divides to try to get our numbers back up, and then we take care of them,” says Jim, explaining the process of dividing colonies to produce more honey-making bees.
“You can’t just put them out there and just leave them. You have to go out and service them and see if they need additional room. Then we harvest the honey, bring it in, and Sioux Honey picks it up.”
The best thing about honey
So, besides being able to help heal a dog’s paws, what are the Oakley brothers’ favorite things about honey?
Beekeepers get a lot of respect, they say.
“It’s always interesting when someone asks, ‘What do you do for work?’ And if you tell them you’re an electrician or you’re a welder, no big reaction. But if you tell them you’re a beekeeper, they go, ‘Oh, yeah?’ And they just want to know all about it,” says Ron.
“People are amazed whenever they meet a beekeeper because there just aren’t that many of them,” adds Jim. “They find it really fascinating and think it’s such an interesting profession.”
The best part, however, might be the reaction people get when they eat honey.
“When somebody tastes honey, it puts a smile on their face,” says John. “And that makes me happy.”
“I guarantee, if a little kid came in here and you let them stick their finger in that comb of honey, you couldn’t keep ’em away from it. They’d just want to keep doing it,” says Jim. “It’s delicious.”
Honey + Apples = True Love Forever
Take a dip with a batch of fresh apples and Sue Bee® honey
Honeybees love apple trees. And apple trees love honeybees. It’s a symbiotic relationship that produces two of our favorite foods: honey and apples.
The bees favor apple trees as a forage source for nectar, which they bring back to their hives where it is used to create that golden goodness we know as honey.
Apples require cross-pollination, and honeybees – the most common pollinator for apple trees – provide that service by moving pollen from tree to tree.
So why did we bring you here for this “the more you know” moment? Because September happens to be National Honey Month. And September is also the most fruitful month for apple harvests. Because honey and apples go so well together, we’ve gathered three of our favorite apple-dipping recipes – all of which include USA-made Sue Bee® honey. Enjoy!
Honey Cinnamon Dip
Ingredients
4 tbsp Sue Bee® honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (8-oz) package of cream cheese
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Directions
Add the ingredients into mixer bowl and blend on high until smooth and creamy. Slice a few apples and dip away!
Honey Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
3 tbsp Sue Bee® honey
1 cup non-fat plain or vanilla yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Slice a few apples and dip away!
Honey Peanut Butter Dip
Ingredients
3 tbsp of Sue Bee® honey
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp water
Directions
Start with the peanut butter in a bowl and gradually stir in the milk and honey until blended. Then stir in water and cinnamon until mixture a creamy and smooth. Slice a few apples and dip away!
Kid. Patriot. Knowledge Seeker.
Meet a young beekeeper wise beyond his 11 years
PowerPoint proposals are for conference rooms. Or college lectures, and webinar tutorials. But a living room near the cozy town of Persia in rural Iowa?
That’s where 11-year-old Tucker Olsen presented his dissertation on why he should be allowed to start a beehive. Did he prove his theory? Judging from the sixth-grader’s recent 60-pound haul of delicious, golden honey, that’s an emphatic “Yes!”
Tucker’s parents, Mike and Patti Olsen, told the budding beekeeper to make a case – show them why they should make an investment in the supplies needed to start a honey operation.
“So I made a PowerPoint,” Tucker explains. “We learned how to do them in school … I talked about cost, lumber, benefits, how we can make back our money, how this could turn into a business, and all kinds of stuff. I had a 15-slide PowerPoint that I presented to them. It worked.”
Blame it on the teachers
Tucker’s love for all things honeybees grew out of a classroom lesson by his teacher, Justin Milliken and his paraprofessional assistant, Doug Deuel. Both of the teachers keep honeybees of their own, and they have shared their interest in beekeeping with their students. The day Mr. Milliken shared a video of himself capturing a swarm of bees was the day that Tucker’s quest to take up the craft began.
“I love looking at them and always learning and seeing what they’re doing and seeing how thousands of bees inside of one hive can know the same thing, and what to do, and when, and why, and just go out and have a system,” says Tucker. “It’s like a well-oiled machine inside of there. It always amazes me.”
Learning the trade
Once Tucker showed an interest in beekeeping, his teacher encouraged him to read books, watch videos and learn as much as he could about the amazing honeybee. One of the books he gave Tucker: “Beekeeping for Dummies.”
“It was a 300-page nonfiction book, and it just explained everything you need to know about bees to get started. It took me a month to read it. I spent hours in that book,” says Tucker. “It was a good book to read. I watched a lot of YouTube videos on bees, too.”
As his apiary studies progressed, Tucker asked more and more questions – questions Mr. Milliken was more than happy to answer. “I actually stayed in for recess a few days to just talk to him about bees.”
Setting up the first hives
Last March, Tucker ordered two packages of honeybees from Lappe’s Bee Supply in Peru, Iowa, near Des Moines. The young beekeeper and his dad built wooden hives from scratch, each holding eight frames. Tucker currently has two hives, one with two supers and one with three. (During a honey flow, beekeepers stack honey supers onto a hive so that the bees have enough storage space. It’s like adding a second and third floor to a house.)
Tucker’s teachers have continued to help out and offer advice as his hives have progressed. They visit Tucker, answer his calls and texts. And they help him inspect his hives regularly to make sure they are healthy.
So far, Tucker has harvested his hives for honey twice, once in June and once again in the middle of August. The first harvest netted 40 pounds of fresh honey, and on the second go, Tucker collected about 60 pounds.
A bounty of floral sources … and using propolis
Tucker and his family live a few minutes outside of Persia on a farm acreage. The fields and farms surrounding their property offer a variety of floral sources for his bees.
“We have the soybeans, we have corn. Next door, there’s an alfalfa field. That alfalfa over there, the bees like it,” Tucker explains. “They just cut it not too long ago. But when that flowers, you can tell when you go in the hive, because it’s just a straight nectar flow. They just love it. That’s where it gets all its floral.
“There’s a pasture over there that wildflowers are in and they love that. And then now, in the ditches, there’ll be goldenrod blooming around this time of year (August–September), so their whole fall source will probably be from goldenrod.”
The more you listen to Tucker talk about honeybees, the more you have to remind yourself that he’s 11. Especially when he starts talking about the medicinal elements that honeybees produce. Like his next project: bandages made from propolis, which is a glue-like mixture that bees produce by blending saliva, beeswax and exudate fluid gathered from tree buds or sap flows. Bees use propolis to seal tiny gaps in their hives.
“The process is taking the excess propolis out of the hive, then you put it in a quart mason jar. You put half with that, and then you put pure alcohol in it. And then you put food wrap over it and then put a lid on it and you shake it,” Tucker explains.
“You have to shake it once a day for three months. Out of all those days, you have to blend it once. And then, eventually, it will be like milk and cream, it’ll separate. The propolis tincture – it’s called a propolis tincture – it’ll come to the top, and then you take it and you just put it in these little bottles with little eyedroppers in it.
“Basically, it’s a sterilizing liquid bandage that’s all natural. If you have like a cracked lip, you can put it on your lip. Or if you have a cut, you put it on there. The alcohol will sterilize it, and then the propolis, once the alcohol is evaporated, it’ll just make a liquid bandage over it and harden. And it’s basically pretty much a natural bandage.”
Again, this kid beekeeper is 11. And how did he learn about this propolis bandage idea?
“An Amazon Prime documentary,” says Tucker. Adds mom, Patti: “He never ceases to amaze with new, interesting facts about honeybees and honey. He just loves it, and he never stops learning.”
What’s next for Tucker?
So far, this kid beekeeper has shared his first two honey harvests with friends and family. Some neighbors, too – specifically the lady down the road.
“She likes to use it in elderberry syrup. We traded a bottle of honey for a bottle of elderberry syrup,” Tucker says.
“We have some people that we sell it to, like friends that are basically family,” Tucker explained. “Just a lot of local people, we sell it to them. We give it to family, and we keep some for ourselves, because we found that when we actually have our own honey, and have a lot of it, we use it a lot more than we thought we would. We can go through a two-and-a-half-pound jar in a month.
“I like to put it on English muffins, toast them and put butter and honey on them. That’s my favorite. I know mom uses it in her barbecue sauce. We just use it in all kinds of different things, cooking wise.”
Honorary Sioux Honey ‘Beekeeper-in-Training’
When we visited Tucker recently, we presented him a special beehive smoker with his name engraved on it, along with a certificate from the Sioux Honey Association Co-op, which named him an honorary “Beekeeper-in-Training” – as long as he promised to abide by the same Sioux Honey standards of beekeeping that every co-op member has followed for the past 100 years:
- Respect the honeybee and how hard it works.
- Honor and support all members of the Sioux Honey co-op.
- Always collect and share honey in its truest, purest form.
We’re pretty sure Tucker won’t have a problem keeping any of those promises. The 11-year-old is well on his way to becoming a quintessential Sioux Honey beekeeper.
“I think it would be something to really get into and it’d be just a good thing to be in and be a part of, and just help out with it,” Tucker says of the co-op.
We’re also confident that Tucker will enthusiastically promote his honey – like all of the beekeepers in the Sioux Honey co-op – as being an all-American, made-in-the-USA product. Just look at his red-white-and-blue beehives for proof.
Why paint them so patriotically?
“I think it’s important, especially with these beehives,” says Tucker, pausing for a moment and suddenly becoming quite serious.
“If I lived in another country besides America, some countries probably wouldn’t allow me to even have these bees and make this happen and be able to sell my honey … America’s a good country to be in. If you want to get into this. It’s like, if we weren’t in America right now, this wouldn’t happen. So that’s kind of a tribute to it, the way I painted my hives, red, white and blue.”
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 September 18, 2020 and ending September 21, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, September 21, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must guess the correct state that the bee colonies are located in within the comments. 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 September 21, 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.
National Honey Month 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 September 1, 2020 and ending September 4, 2020. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, September 4, 2020.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must reply with a comment on the giveaway post. 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 Bee Oven Mitt, a Bee Pot Holder, a Spatula Gift Box Set, a 13-Piece Mixing Bowl Set and two bottles of Sue Bee Clover 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 September 4, 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.