National Honey Bee Day is coming up and our hive is abuzz with excitement! What started as a grassroots effort by a small group of beekeepers to build community awareness around the art of beekeeping, National Honey Bee Day has spread nationwide with local and regional events hosted throughout the country. Why do honey bees deserve their own day? Simple answer - they are vital to our food system.
While we all enjoy indulging in their namesake, honey bees are actually responsible for a large portion of our everyday diet. Many may not know that pollination is the vital “second shift” of the humble honey bee. While honey bees are gathering nectar, they’re also fertilizing flowering plants. As premier pollinators, honey bees are responsible for about one in every three bites of food we eat, and it is thanks to them that we get to enjoy many of our favorite fruits, vegetables and nuts like cherries, watermelon, cucumbers, avocado and almonds. Not only does this pollination work make for more diverse and delicious diets, but it is also worth more than $17 billion, according to research published in 2012.
To celebrate, the NHB is premiering its newest Celebrating Beekeeping video that shines a light on the importance of honey bee pollination. Join farmer Jennifer Euwer and beekeeper George Hansen from the Foothills Honey Company as they talk about the importance of their partnership for the pollination of US agricultural crops.
So, how are you celebrating National Honey Bee Day? Perhaps visiting with your local beekeeper to learn about bees and honey? Or maybe something as simple as planting your own pollinator-friendly garden? For more ideas, check out our five tips on how you can help the bees. However you celebrate, make it sweet!