Photo: Justusthane, Flickr.

Florida's honeymakers, already adept at catching flies, have lately been buttonholing politicians, successfully pressing for new legislation that experts say should save the state's honey industry.

The Florida legislature this month approved a bill prohibiting the production and sale of adulterated honey -- a racy-sounding term that encompasses the honey-fructose blends and chemically treated honeys that have flooded the market over the past decade. While Florida is the first state to issue an official honey standard, Nancy Gentry, who chairs the Florida Honey Bee Technical Council, says as many as 28 states are contemplating similar legislation.

"We're already seeing significant changes," Gentry reports. "We're going to take blended honey products off the shelf in Florida."

The American honey industry was decimated in the 1980s by the Varroa mite, which took down more than 20 percent of hives nationwide.

A strawberry reflects. Photo: Paraflyer/Flickr

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After a 20 year hiatus, a group of students at California State University at Fresno re-started the bee club on campus and created a project teaching beekeeping. I'm sure they didn't expect they would end up producing honey to sell in the farm market on campus. Two sisters from a beekeeping family came up with the idea and approached a professor. They raised money through donations and some school funding and got enough equipment and bees to get started. The club and project provide hands on experience for students and the profits will go to the Universities agriculture programs. The honey, in limited amounts, is available at the Farm Market on the southeast corner of Barstow and Chestnut avenues. It is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call (559) 278-4511.

I was an outdoor educator for several years using experiential education as a teaching method, i.e., learning by doing. I love to hear about projects like this, especially when they are combined with my other loves, farming and making food products. Beekeeping and producing honey can be a lot of fun. I have known a few beekeepers, both professionals and hobbyists, over the years. When I was around 10-11 years old I helped out upon occasion during summer vacations in the mid-west, and even after a few stings got relaxed enough around the bees to wear just the minimum of protective gear. There is nothing like the feeling of eating honey you helped produce and collect. Beekeeping is sort of like raising livestock in miniature. You help provide shelter and safety, supply medicine when they are ill, and do all you can so they flourish. It is very satisfying and the end result, golden honey, is proof of your sweet success.

It doesn't seem possible -- sugar-free honey? This is the first time I've ever heard of it! But according to Indian news source, Nerve, bees are able to produce sugar-free herbal honey by feeding on the leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia is marketed as natural sweetener, an alternative to sugar.

According to Nerve, sugar-free honey reduces cravings for sugar and fat, which appeals to people who don't want to gain weight but still want to enjoy the taste of honey. Additionally, sugar-free honey controls blood sugar levels and high blood pressure. Thus, it is in high demand by diabetics.