Partner Highlight: Ebert Honey

Ebert Honey began in 1980 by Phil Ebert as a hobby with just a couple hives in his backyard in Fairfield, Iowa. In the years that followed, they slowly grew and Phil’s son Adam started taking care of the bees during high school. In the 90’s, they grew from 50 hives to 500.

Today, Ebert Honey has 2,000 hives spread across central and eastern Iowa. Now their team has grown to 15 people working full and part time to run the business. They produce thousands of pounds of honey per year, and the beehives no longer fit in the backyard! “We love many aspects of our business. It is a family-based effort that keeps us deeply integrated in wholesome local foods and dedicated to helping our bees stay healthy at a time when keeping them alive is difficult,” said Adam Ebert.

The honey flow in Iowa can begin as early as May. In most years the honey harvest begins in mid-July and lasts through August. Once the honeycomb is harvested, it is brought back to Ebert Honey’s processing buildings to be extracted. The extracted honey is stored in 55 gallon drums until it is bottled. “We are often asked if we “add” anything to our honey, and we do not. It is 100% pure honey that the bees collected here in Iowa,” said Adam. This is unique because 60% of the honey on American grocery shelves is actually imported from some other country. Those imports include millions of pounds of faux honeys that are smuggled into the USA from countries that actually have factories blending various syrups to mimic honey and fraudulently sell it in international markets as natural honey.

“It is gratifying to create a business based on a natural product and organism that people value as positive components in our world. The fact that it is relatively difficult to carve out this kind of life just makes it more fulfilling since local foods and honeybee pollination are so important to building a healthier and more food secure future,” said Adam. And that natural product goes beyond just normal honey. Every year Ebert also produces honeycomb; the most natural honey you can get. It is still in the comb just like how the bees produced it!

“It is our hope that customers feel connected to the concept of a family business providing wholesome products that are completely unadulterated,” said Adam, “We don’t use intense processing methods that can deteriorate the flavor and quality of honey, so we love it when folks are amazed by the delightful flavors that have sometimes been erased from honeys from large commercial factories.”

Most of Ebert’s honey is sold directly to grocery stores, bakeries, breweries, and restaurants throughout central and eastern Iowa. Online and phone orders, including bucket and barrel quantities, can be shipped nationally. You can also find Ebert Honey products at Dan and Debbie’s Creamery. Here you can find their raw honey, beeswax bars, honeycombs, and bee pollen. Yes, you read that right – bee pollen!

Bee pollen is usually sprinkled into another food product or beverage, though some people simply consume a spoonful a day as part of their routine. Common choices to sprinkle in some pollen include yogurt, cereal, tea, coffee, and smoothies; but our favorite way is to add it on top of ice cream! While honey is mostly sugars with traces of other healthful components, pollen is extremely dense in amino acids and vitamins.  It is the primary food that honeybees use to raise their offspring, and it has much more complete nutritional profile than honey.  Many customers that suffer from seasonal allergies buy pollen because they report that it ameliorates their symptoms.

If the Ebert’s weren’t busy enough, Alex and Adam both pollinate local orchards and California almonds each spring. These ventures keep Phil and everybody else very busy throughout the year, but the result is a very enjoyable family business. You can learn more about Ebert Honey on their website.