SANTA BARBARA HIVES
Beekeepers on the American Riviera
We started with one hive at the end of a long California drought when the bees were in sharp global decline. Watching them interact, fly off on foraging flights, return with "pollen pants", clean each other, ward off intruders, carry off the dead, orient themselves to the opening of the hive in "flight school"--fascinating. Better cinema than man makes, for sure. We wanted to help. We bought 100 hives coming out of almond pollination, half the bees in America travel to pollinate the almonds. Covid hit so we beekeeped, intently, full time. We built up the colonies to 600 hives spread across Santa Barbara County. Some in the mountaineous, shruby, back country known as the "Chaparral" region.
Chaparral honey comes from multiple floral sources, like wildflower honey, but the term is specific to our region making that honey almost like a wine appelation. It is delicious.
Closer to the shop, our bees are on 700 acres of avocados spanning as far as the eye can see up to Camino Cielo. The French may have lavender and sunflowers but we have avocados. Avocado honey is dark like molasses, incredible.
Wildflower is the most common type of honey. Mille fleurs or mille flores, a thousand flowers, when the bees forage on all the things-not just a specific source. The Mesa in Santa Barbara makes for incredible forage!
Sage honey might be sweetest, it is the lightest of the honeys and also comes from the Santa Barbara back country. Put some in the fridge and it turns to candy. Your children will listen and do all their chores.
With apiaries in the mountains, on avocados, sprinkled across backyards and movie star Montecito estates, we make organic lip balms, beeswax candles, scented soy candles and organic soaps and with a little bakery in Carpinteria where we make French pastries, organic sourdough, sourdough pizzas and decadent cheesecakes--we are Santa Barbara Hives.
KEYT News Feature: Buzzing with Purpose
805 Living Magazine: All Hail Hot Honey
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