Boulder, Colorado, is a bee-friendly place. In May 2015, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a ban on bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides. You can join this city-wide effort to support bees as you take cooking classes in Boulder by incorporating local honey into your recipes. Local honey gives you a chance to support nearby bees and farms, but it also brings new and interesting nuances to your dishes. Get your honey fresh from the bees through one of these local sources.
Highland Honey Bees
Highland Honey Bees prides itself on the complex flavor of its honey. Its hives are spread throughout Boulder County. Boulder’s climate diversity means that a hive located in the prairies will produce different honey than a hive in the foothills or the mountains. Taking cooking classes in Colorado lets you take advantage of this diversity to zero in on a flavor that is best reflected in your cooking. Highland Honey Bees honey can be purchased in a number of retail locations, including Whole Foods, Alfalfa’s Market and Cured.
Highland Honey Bees, PO Box 18392, Boulder, CO 80308
Cure Organics
These bees are raised without antibiotics on 12 acres of property by Cure Organics. Cure Organics’ whole mission is centered around supporting the environment and redeveloping a relationship with the earth. Its raw wildflower honey can be bought at the farm. Since its store is located at the farm, visiting is a great opportunity to see a little bit of what Cure does and how it does it.
Cure Organics, 7416 Valmont Rd., Boulder, CO 80301
New Moon Farms
This 1.5-acre farm is small but mighty. It started as a personal farm, and has expanded to bring local fresh produce to Boulder. Its size makes it easy to take a look around and familiarize yourself with the bee-raising process. New Moon’s raw organic honey is made and sold on-site.
New Moon Farms, 3298 95th Street, Boulder, CO 80301
You!
If you’re particularly interested in learning the subtleties of raw honey, consider raising your own hive. The Boulder County Beekeepers offer all sorts of information about starting your own hive, keeping it healthy and harvesting the honey. Don’t get discouraged by what seems, from the outside, to be a daunting task. As Bee Thinking explained in its getting started guide, “Bees are more work than a goldfish, but less than a dog.” With a bit of management (and yes, a few stings) you can start using honey made in your own backyard.