Noe Valley certainly has their share of this liquid gold and we were recently blessed with a warm, freshly decanted jar of it! From right up the Castro Street hill, the raw honey was still settling by the time it reached us at 24th street.

The population of these lovely little honey producers have hit an astonishing low just a few years back. Healthy bees were fleeing their hives leaving crops un-pollinated and then posing huge risks to the crops we love most! Without the bees hard at work, food from apples to nuts, avocados, broccoli, onions, pumpkin, and peaches and more are affected. I can’t bear the idea of this world without blueberries or kiwi.

According to the National Resources Defense Council’s website, this mass disappearance of bees from their hives is referred to as Colony Collapse Disorder. The numbers are huge, some estimated “one-third of all honey bee colonies in the country have vanished”.

It seems that the bees know what a nice neighborhood is when they see one. Most of the bees were directed to nearby apiaries when their swarms were detected in undesired places. In Noe Valley, there are a few options for local honey. And very tasty! The bees pick nectar from fruit trees and other blooming flowers leaving each batch with a distinct underlying taste of melded lavender, cherries, and more. I was very impressed as a licked the honey from my freshly dipped spoon. Another delicious way to eat and be a part of our community!

Check out Noe Valley honey at Video Wave, 24th Street Cheese Co, Lovejoy’s Tea Room, Of Barbers & Bears, and Mission Pie for your own delicious jar. And we have a great small Le Creuset honey dipper to pair with it for a great local gift!

And for those who may be into their own urban beekeeping, have you made a visit to Her Majesty's?

Information drawn from Noe Valley Apiaries and the Natural Resources Defense Council

Bee in Hive courtesy botheredbybees