Oh honey...

(photo courtesy of Aidan McClendon)

Have you tried McClendon's Select Honey? We have a couple hundred thousand busy little workers who not only help pollinate all of our wonderful citrus and produce, but they also spend some time creating one of nature's best sweeteners.

Honey is as fascinating and complex as the bees that create it. Not only is honey a wonderful substitute for sugar, but it has amazing antibiotic, antioxidant and cleansing properties as well. Honey has been used for centuries for curing aliments, treating cuts and building immune systems. It also never goes bad, because despite how much bacteria loves sugar, bacteria simply can not grow in honey. The high acidic level and low water content in honey makes it impossible for bacteria or microorganisms to grow, meaning that it always stays fresh. Honey is truly a miracle food.

McClendon's Select sells two types of honey from bees kept on our farm: Desert Blossom Honey and Orange Blossom Honey. Our honey is available on our website or at our markets.

We also sell Raw Bee Pollen, which is both a wonderful source of protein (without the saturated fats of animal proteins), but also a concentrated source of the B vitamin complex. Bee Pollen has long been used by athletes because of it is a natural energy booster for speed and endurance, but it also helps in recovery after workouts.

I am working with Bob on writing a longer piece about the nature and benefits of both honey and bee pollen. He is a wealth of information on this subject and I continue to be amazed at this complex food made by this tiny creatures. Aidan is also fascinated and loves to help Bob when they are working the hives and extracting the honey. I am sure most mothers don't send their children towards bee hives, but the more I have learned about the bees the less I worry. He has never been stung while helping Bob work the honey, although he will tell you the tale of getting stung while we were on vacation in Scotland years ago. Aidan loves that story and it gets better every time he tells it. He has learned from Bob over the years how to respect bees and the work that they do and how to act around them. Too many people fear bees unnecessarily and without their contribution to farming, we would all be at a loss. McClendon's Select absolutely relies on these hard workers and we are grateful for their help.

Makes honey all the sweeter, doesn't it?