Indigenous Raw Local Honey in Virginia’s Piedmont, since 2011
Renova Sustainable Agriculture, LLC’s apiaries produce our unique “Raw&Wild” line of indigenous honeys, which are drawn from the nectars of native trees and shrubs found in the region. Our bee yards are strategically placed along remote ridgelines, tucked within hidden glades and among high pastures, to produce pristine offerings in pure air, far-removed from industrial pollutants and monocrop farming operations.
“Arboriflora”
- Pristine, Delicate & Brilliant
“Arboriflora” is a native blend of Virginia’s earliest-season tree honeys. The unique traits of our bees equip them to begin foraging at temperatures around 43 degrees, and even in light rain, as opposed to nearly every other colony in the region, which forage in fair weather above 55 degrees. This means that the honey produced by our Restoration honeybees stands alone as completely unique amongst our peers. Our bees perfectly showcase the early season varietals available in the northern Piedmont at the very beginning of the spring honeyflows - Willow, Maple, Birch, Beech, Autumn Olive, and Black Locust. This honey, produced prior to mid-April, is delicate, light, and intensely floral, with a brilliant fire to the rear-of-mouth and -throat that defies belief. In 14 years of production, we have yet to hear the first dislike. It is marketed as “Arboriflora” (tree-flower honey) because it is a blend distinctive to the immediate region where it was produced (less than 3 miles) AND produced prior to any groundcover flowering for the year.
“Harmony”
- Malty & Dazzlingly Complex - the Baker’s honey.
“Harmony” is a late-season tree-and-bramble honey: just at the point when most fair-weather honeybee colonies are beginning to hit their stride for the spring, we are beginning our second honeycrop for the year. “Harmony” is produced from the same production yards as “Arboriflora”, without transporting our bees elsewhere. Seasonally nature-blended from the flowers of such species as Tulip Poplar, Basswood, Blackberry, Paw-Paw, Black Gum, Multiflora Rose and Staghorn Sumac. This honey contains a smooth maltiness from the high maltose content found in local Tulip Poplar nectar, with the spice of Staghorn Sumac and the dazzling brilliance of Blackberry nectar. Incredibly deep in palate, it is raw honey at its best: rough-strained to 400 mesh and never heated. It will dazzle chefs and bakers alike. This is a dark golden-to-molasses color, with orange highlights in the sun.
“Perfection” Comb Honey
A note from our Founder: “Once you taste our “Perfection” comb honey, you will never want any other honey but this one, ever again. Comb honey is barely produced in the USA to any appreciable degree, and a great majority of that is clover-based, from treated colonies. Try something completely unique with our specialty comb honey offering, if you can find it!”
We now keep our specialty strain of Restoration honeybees in a bespoke hive design, made only by us to specifically allow for perfect comb honey to be produced during the shortest and most immaculate nectarflow available in the northern Piedmont of Virginia. We are sometimes out of stock for more than a year at a time, because this nectarflow is so weather-dependant.
Renova’s “Perfection” comb offerings are produced during a period of roughly 10 days, between our “Arboriflora” and “Harmony” offerings. Foundationless comb honey, with nothing but our bees’ own efforts, offered to you.
Try some, folks - Because Perfection is truly heavenly!