Queen Bee Company., Jacksonville, Fla: Honey & More

Honey is very popular but don’t forget who made the honey—bees. “Two to three years ago there were no bees in my yard,” said Don Peppers, co-owner of Queen Bee Co. “Now there are bees because I put them there.”


Don Peppers, co-owner of Queen Bee Company, Jacksonville, Fla.

Peppers, a former corporate banker, started bee keeping after he retired. His grandfather first introduced him to the practice back when he was just 15 years old. Now, he only sells his honey at Jacksonville Farmers’ and Green Markets.

“Bees are going to be nonexistent in the next 100 years because of insecticides. Bees can’t adapt fast enough,” said Peppers.

When he started the business, three years ago, he thought he was going to have to study entomology (insect science) but soon found out he would become an expert in botany (plant science). And if you ask him, he will tell you what plant in what month his bees are getting nectar from like Black Mangrove in June.

“There are only 2.2 million bee hives in the country,” said Peppers. They are essential for crop growing especially in almond fields, the largest agriculturally produced crop in the country. “In fact almond farmers can’t get insurance unless they have a bee contract,” said Peppers.

So if you want a hive, he can sell it to you and even help you set it up.

To find out more you can call him at (904)262-8859 or find him at the St. Johns River Farmers Market in Switzerland, Florida, on Saturday mornings.

 

Seminole Pumpkin: Florida Native Heirloom Variety

It’s time to buy your heirloom Seminole Pumpkin. It is a Florida native variety pumpkin that was cultivated and eaten by Seminole Indians before Florida was a state. It is an adaptive gourd that grows equally well in heat, wet or drought conditions.

Florida native heirloom Seminole Pumpkin, Fla.

Commercial growing of it went out of fashion for awhile. Renewed interest from Slow Food groups and farmers has brought it back into popularity.

The pumpkins vary in color from dull orange to yellow to green, and vary in size from one pound to 12. They have a thick outer skin that helps them store well at room temperature for months, and a shape that resembles winter varieties. They are slightly hallow inside. And have many seeds and a dense, slightly sweet, orange colored flesh. They go well any dish and make really good pie.

More and more farms each year are growing these tasty Florida gourds. Kai KaiFarm grows and sell the pumpkins at the Sunday morning Gardens Summer GreenMarket, in Palm Beach Gardens.

The Hyppo Artisan Ice Pops, St. Augustine, Fla.

St. Augustine, Fla—The Hyppo Artisan Ice Pops sources ingredients from local farms around St. Augustine. This pop company, open only four years, is so popular it already has four stores. "We started out sourcing from farmers markets but now we are large enough to source directly from farms," said owner Stephen DiMare.

Stephen DiMare owner of The Hyppo Artisan Ice Pops, St. Augustine, Fla.

St. Augustine born DiMare got the idea for the frozen pop store from a woman on a flight back from Montana. He wanted to open a coffee shop and she suggested a gourmet Popsicle shop.  "My mind started running on the idea of opening up a store with unusual ingredients," said DiMare.

The recession helped him find an affordable shop with a kitchen in downtown historic St. Augustine. And hard work along with help from his family and friends allowed The Hyppo to find success quickly. "St. Augustine was very supportive," said DiMare. In three weeks the company was cash solvent.

He created his pops after the Mexican paletas style that uses a little stick and unusual ingredients. And he has unusual flavors like Sangria plum, guava hibiscus, strawberry basil, prickly pear, blueberry cinnamon, mamey, and carrot ginger.

There are no artificial dyes in his pops so all the color comes from his ingredients. "I chop the fruit, add water, put it in a blender, and freeze it," said DiMare. He also occasionally adds honey from a Jacksonville Apiary.

In the future he hopes to open more stores but he wants them to be a place that supports more than seasonal jobs. "My mark of success will be how many people make a career out of here," he said waving his arm around to indicate the shop.

If The Hyppo Artisan Ice Pops keeps supporting local farmers and putting together delicious seasonal Florida pops I can see it creating a lot of career opportunities for St. Augustine.

To find out more you can go to http://thehyppo.com/ or find them at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Hyppo/107494825964658