Looking for Honey supply/Beekeepers in CO

Hi All,

I am working to develop my contacts and get good local honey or at least some good varitals in good bulk prices. Mostly they say to contact the beekeepers themselves. I figured I'd get a shout out to see if anybody is going to do a group buy or even has done so with some good varietals and to get it at a good price. By good price I would guess in the range of $2.00/lb (for the more common stuff of Wildflower and Alfalfa) to around $2.50/lb (for some of the more varitial honeys: Orange Blossom, Bluberry, Blackberry, Raspberry, Medowfoam, and the like)

I usually go through about 2-3 42 pound buckets a year with my 8 carboys. Looking to keep myself supplied. Unfortunately, My honey budget does not allow buying a 55 gallon barrel, but I know people have done so in the past.

I live in Colorado and can range from Boulder to East Aurora and Fort Collins to Colorado Springs for a bulk buy. About 2-3 42 buckets a year. I prefer to spend the money for gas rather than more for shipping.

To me this doesn't seem unreasonable IF the supply is local and we can get it as close to the source as possible. Buy locally. I'd keep bees myself but no land to do so and I have some irrational fears dealing with flying stinging insects (Bees and wasps mostly) Not to mention that's a whole new hobbie that my finances wont allow and the start up time to get good at it is not something I can do. I just want to brew mead.

So..Can anyone out there help?

Matrix

I wish I could, I had a similar situation here in Virginia. What I ended up doing is contacting apple orchards around us, who use bees from keepers to pollenate, and commonly sell honey. Also going to regional fresh farmer's markets and finding the honey vendors. You tell them your need. I ended up getting pointed to one bee farm here in VA about 30 miles from me that buys up honey from other bee farmers. This is a common process as many of the keepers keep small amounts and may only end up with 5 gallons at a time or so. I ended up getting 60 lb buckets (5 gal, honey weighs about 12 lbs a gallon depending on moisture content), from a gentleman for $150. I found many places to get honey cheaper in volume, but they were either not regional, or corporate volume bee farms. Honey is so healthy for you when you get it from close to you, because of the pollens the bees use, are many of the ones that may affect your allergies. 1 tsp of nectar from the hive, keeps the hives off your body

To Summarize: Go to fresh markets, talk to the local farmers, call apple orchards if there are some near you or grape vineyards.