Local Love: Queen Farina Honey
Posted by Mekenna Malan on
This post is a part of ROOLEE's Local Love, a blog series dedicated to highlighting businesses we admire based in our home of Cache Valley, Utah.
Queen Farina is a local honey business ran by two sisters, Aubrey and Gina, who work toward a sustainable future through their beekeeping practices. We love that in addition to Queen Farina's delicious, never-pasteurized honey and adorable branding, the company is concerned with and actively contributes to the health of our local ecology and honeybee populations. Aubrey was kind enough to answer a few questions for us below!
Why the name "Queen Farina?”
Our mother’s maiden name is Farina. Since we’ve always considered our mom to be our queen bee, there was no question what our business name would be!
Why Cache Valley?
Cache Valley has been our home since we came to study here at Utah State University. It’s a beautiful place with good people. Our hearts are here.
Why doesn't Queen Farina pasteurize its honey?
Families have used raw, unfiltered honey to help with allergies for generations. By pasteurizing honey we destroy the raw properties that honey is so well-known for. The beautiful part about honey is that you can actually taste the flavor of the flowers the nectar was collected from. It also has a lower glycemic index than processed sugar!
What has been your favorite part of owning this business so far?
We have met so many incredibly dope people. The support from friends, family, and our community has been overwhelming. We've even been able to meet Chip and Joanna Gaines all because of our sweet honeybees…how cool is that?!
What is one lesson we can learn from bees?
Honeybees are a nostalgic part of the state of Utah as it has been nicknamed “The Beehive State." Among many other attributes, honeybees are known for their industry and perseverance. They are hard-working members of a colony and will sacrifice their entire life for the health of the hive. They are the perfect example of sustainability.
What is your advice for individuals who want to start their own hive?
Do it! The lessons you learn will far outweigh the cost. It will be an unforgettable experience!
What else can we do for the health of our local bee populations?
The best way to support the bee population is to plant bee-friendly flowers and support beekeepers. It takes a lot of hard work and we can never have enough honeybees!
Visit Queen Farina's website
