There’s no sweeter way to mark the beginning of fall than by celebrating National Honey Month. The National Honey Board chose September to promote and support the beekeeping industry because September marks the beginning of the end of regular honey season in the Northern parts of the United States. That means it’s crucial to keep honey in people’s minds and in their pantries. Not just for honey packers like us, but for the beautiful bees.

Of course, we love the golden goodness honey bees bring into our lives, but they play a major role in nature that goes far beyond honey production. As the pollinators of 80% of flowering plants on earth, they’re not just major contributors to the country’s stunning floral landscapes, but they also help support our ecosystem. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day, helping to provide nourishing habitats for countless birds and insects.

And then there’s bees benefits to people. Besides pollinating 90% of wild plants, they bolster our food supply, as they’re responsible for the pollination of 70 of the top 100 human food crops, like apples, cherries, and even avocados. So next time you have a big ol’ bowl of guacamole that you’d call the bees knees, well, you know who to thank.

Besides its place at the table as a kitchen staple, honey can also make a difference in your well-being. Whether you use it as a sleep aid, energy booster, or sweet way soothe a sore throat, honey can add a drop of health and happiness to your day, no recipe required – just ask our Honey Doctor and author of The Honey Revolution, Dr. Ron Fessenden at honeydoctor@localhivehoney.com.

Now, we at Local Hive, by Rice’s Honey, clearly think fun bee facts are totally buzzworthy, but it’s important to face reality: bee populations are in dramatic decline, threatening pollination, honey production, delicate ecosystems and the food chain itself. That’s why our mission is to spread awareness about the benefits of bees as well as educate the public on the importance of our important pollinators. And we do it by partnering with PACE: Pollinator Awareness through Conservation and Education.

The PACE initiative has a global impact led by Colorado’s own Butterfly Pavilion. Its programs include habitat restoration projects, educational programs, citizen science opportunities and more. And the best part? A portion of proceeds from every Local Hive bottle sold goes toward supporting our partners at PACE. As if you needed another reason to stock up on the sweet stuff.

Have a happy National Honey Month, from all of us at Local Hive, by Rice’s Honey.