Last updated on June 13th, 2024
Local Hive has launched grassroots and national initiatives to help increase awareness of the importance of the American Beekeeper while encouraging shoppers to purchase 100-percent, USA-only honey. The Greeley, Colorado-based company supports local communities and purchases natural, raw and unfiltered honey from more than 150 local American beekeepers from coast to coast.
Most people may not know where their honey comes from or be aware of its many benefits. Did you know that the majority of the honey sold in stores today is foreign sourced or a blend of honey from the U.S. and other countries?
Imagine the impact that has on American Beekeepers and local communities. It is getting harder and harder for them to sell their honey, in addition to having a negative impact on U.S. agriculture, as they consider closing honey producing operations and abandoning the beekeeping business.
Founded in 1924, Local Hive is one of the oldest raw and unfiltered honey companies in America and is harvested from independent and family owned beekeepers in states all across the U.S.
Every bottle of honey illustrates the location of each locally sourced batch of nectar. Each bottle of honey imparts distinct, naturally sweet flavors unique to the geographical home of every beehive. Local Hive offers more than 20 distinctive varietals of local honey specific to states and regions across America.
Beyond taste and supporting local American beekeepers, the mission of Local Hive is to educate all consumers on the vital need to protect bees and pollinators. About 90 percent of all wild flowering plants and 75 percent of all food crops rely upon pollination to survive and thrive.
Engaging the public
2020 has been a challenging year for millions sheltering at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Local Hive has engaged consumers on creative ways to use the honey in their pantries.
- Chef videos offers simple-to-create honey recipes by partnering with local chefs across the U.S.
- Local Hive Baking Challenge engaged home-cooks across the nation in a social media contest. The winning recipes are featured here: Baking Challenge Winners.
- Hive Honey Do’s campaign on Facebook and Instagram showcased unique ways to use honey including: raw honey and coconut oil facemask, honey and lavender simple syrup, honey peanut butter pup ice cream, honey bubble bath, honey hair mask, honey and avocado popsicles, as well as other creative recipes.
Supporting American beekeepers
- Local Hive website features enhanced content and videos in supporting American beekeepers;
- Packaging update featuring new top sticker callout in support of American beekeepers; and
- Local Hive blog and messaging around what you can do to help American Beekeepers.
Protecting the bees
- For the past three years, Local Hive has donated a portion of proceeds from every bottle sold to non-profit PACE (Pollinator Awareness through Conservation and Education) to help protect the safeguarding of bees and all pollinators.
- Seeds for Bees: Local Hive is planting bee-friendly wildflowers across the U.S. to help local bees, beekeepers, farmers and communities.
- Staff retention during pandemic: The company has retained all staff and increased its honey purchasing from local American beekeepers
- Retail news: Local Hive Honey has almost doubled its distribution points across the U.S. over the last year, introducing its products into several retailers, including Kroger, Albertsons/Safeway, Ahold/Delhaize banners, Walmart, Meijer, ShopRite, BJ’s Wholesale, Whole Foods, Sprouts and the U.S. Armed Forces Commissaries, to name a few.
- Direct to consumer e-commerce sales are booming as seen in their 2020 online sales to accounts like Amazon and directly from their website.
- Webby Award Winner for 2020 for the Local Hive website work done by Johnson & Sekin out of Dallas, Texas.
- Fastest Growing Honey Brand on Facebook and Instagram with engaging content on a daily basis.
- Local Hive blog, featuring hive to table engagement is helping empower the company and all honey lovers.
“Supporting American beekeepers, their families and the communities in which they operate, in order for us to procure quality local honey from across the United States for shoppers to enjoy, is core to who we are as a company,” said Tony Landretti , Local Hive CEO.
“We recognize the importance of the American beekeeper to our ecosystem and know shoppers want transparency with their food. Working directly with these beekeepers allows for us to support American families while giving customers a unique experience with Local Hive products.”
