Robin is with Dave Stotesbury of Backed by Bees. David and partner Vincent Soha started out as a full-scale bee keeping operation with 400+ hives in the Burlington area. Here they are standing in the Appleby yard location, which is also the location of their store (6214 Appleby Line). Robin met Dave and Vincent through the local Chamber of Commerce and they worked together on how Backed By Bees could support their community.

One of the items that the Food Bank doesn’t receive very often is honey and many of those that receive assistance are really grateful when they are offered a “treat” like jam or honey. After that conversation the partners went to work to develop what they are calling “Give the Gift of Sweetness” to anyone that would like to support the Burlington Food Bank with raw honey produced right here in Burlington.

They are taking orders now for the 2021 honey crop and then frames get set aside from these hives for each donation and then they will provide us with 250g jars. We can’t wait to see the results of this honey drive. They are also a meadery where they take some of the honey they harvest, ferment it and produce a tasty alcohol beverage called mead, they are currently putting up a tap room now as commercial mead makers which they hope will be open in the next couple of months.