Frequently Asked Questions about our Honey:

Is your honey certified organic? To use the term organic or certified organic in any marketing or labeling, you must pay to be licensed and inspected annually by the USDA. We have chosen to not pursue the process of becoming USDA certified organic because this would further increase our already high operating expenses & it would otherwise not change anything about how we care for our bees or collect our honey. We do not use any pesticides on our bees/hives. Our hives are registered with the state of Iowa so any neighboring farmers must notify us prior to spraying their fields to ensure we can protect our bees by keeping them in the hive. We feel our consumers are smart enough to make their own decisions about the purity and safety of our honey without the extra cost of becoming certified organic. This is the same honey our family consumes daily and we would never sell anything to our customers that we wouldn't feel comfortable with our family consuming.

What is raw honey? Is it safe? Our honey is raw, which means it has not been pasteurized or heat-treated. Raw honey has many health benefits including antibacterial and antifungal properties. It can help soothe sore throats, is a natural cough suppressant, is easier to digest than cane sugars or sugar alcohols, is better for glycemic control, and provides allergy relief to persons who suffer from pollen/seasonal allergies. When honey is heat-treated or pasteurized it loses many of the health benefits that it provides when consumed in the raw state. One reason most commercial honey is treated is to kill any possible bacteria spores. Since raw honey is not heat-treated, it is not recommended that babies under the age of one or persons with severely compromised immune systems consume any raw honey as they lack the healthy gut bacteria necessary to process any spores that may be present in raw honey. Bacteria spores rarely cause any problems for healthy children and adults, so we do feel our honey is safe as long as you are over the age of 1 year and do not have a severely compromised immune system.