Highway 20 Honey
Founded in the hot summer of 2008, Highway 20 Honey is small family-run apiary in Mazama WA. Most commercial operations have 2,000 to 5,000 hives that are trucked from one place to another. Highway 20 Honey has 16 hives: "We know each Queen by name," says beekeeper Paul Jennings.
Jennings explains how Highway 20 Honey comes to be so pure and delicious:
"In the mountains, our bees forage wildflowers to create a dense and delicious honey. Our apiary is in the canyon between Grizzly Mountain and Cougar Mountain, protected from agricultural operations and orchards that use heavy levels of chemicals. As the season develops, we extract honey at least twice a year. Each batch is made unique by the flowers present in the early season and the high heat of August."
"In the mountains, our bees forage wildflowers to create a dense and delicious honey. Our apiary is in the canyon between Grizzly Mountain and Cougar Mountain, protected from agricultural operations and orchards that use heavy levels of chemicals. As the season develops, we extract honey at least twice a year. Each batch is made unique by the flowers present in the early season and the high heat of August."
Handling boxes packed full of honey is demanding work. Everyone helps in the bottling, labeling and delivery. The kids use the proceeds to save for college.
"Before I tried local mountain honey, I was not a big honey eater," Paul says. "But the pure, honest, dense and delicious honeys that come from the Methow Valley are always remarkable."
Highway 20 Honey is available at Methow Valley Goods on the TwispWorks campus.