Dunham Bee Farm

My name is Zach Dunham, the beekeeper here at Dunham Bee Farm. It is a family-run business specializing in pure, raw honey. The honey I sell is the honey from my colonies and hand-bottled by me. I do not extract honey from the brood boxes, ever, and then try to replace it with sugar water as some beekeepers do. Leaving this natural honey in the hive for the girls makes it far easier for them to face the cold Iowa winters. The only thing I filter out of my honey is the big pieces of wax and it is never heated. The only product I sell from the hive is the raw honey they make, just as they make it, with nothing added. However, in the near future, I do plan on selling purified beeswax blocks. I do not collect pollen from my colonies as this is their only source of protein and is in great demand for rearing their young. There is significant research to indicate overwinter colony losses, and weak colonies in general, can be partly because of a protein deficiency within the hive. A person can rob a colony to death, which, in my humble opinion, is such a terrible waste of life from such magnificent creatures. The definition of the word beekeeper can be summed up by saying the keeper of the bees. That is why my main goal is to keep the bees: Keep them strong in numbers, strong in health and content in their homes. The bees and I thank you for your support and hope you enjoy our honey as much as we do.