Wisconsin Honey Producers Praise Benefits of Local Honey

In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Like many Wisconsin honey producers, Zeke Jackson of Waterford, Wisconsin, has a passion for beekeeping that goes back to his childhood. 

“As a boy, I had a neighbor who did beekeeping, so I would go over and check on his hives,” Jackson says. “That really prompted my curiosity.”

See more: The Buzz About Wisconsin Pollinators

Today, Jackson is one of the three faces behind the Wisconsin Bee Company, a local honey producer that began in 2020 as the Waterford Bee Co.

Wisconsin Bee Company: Handmade, Local Honey Products

“It was your typical story where three guys met in a bar,” Jackson says with a chuckle. “Shaun Keating, Dan Henschel and I discovered we were all working separately at beekeeping, and we thought we could do even more by working together.” 

The three men combined their resources and launched Waterford Bee Company with the goal of creating quality local honey and bee products to improve the lives of their customers, while also supporting the health and vitality of pollinators. Their first honey product was Creamed Honey, a spreadable honey made through a crystallization process that turns messy, runny honey into a sweet spread similar in consistency to smooth peanut butter. 

The company uses its raw wildflower honey and wax to create many other honey products, including lip balms, hand and beard salves, and a Christmas jam. 

“Yorkville is where most of our operation is, and we manage up to 80 hives in a year,” Jackson says. “Our honey production varies year to year, but it’s typically close to 4,500 pounds per year. We harvest honey in late summer or early fall and sell it at markets, street festivals, local retailers and on our website.”

See more: 9 Fascinating Facts About Honeybees

In 2025, the company rebranded itself and became Wisconsin Bee Company to better reflect where its products are made. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 70-75% of the honey consumed in the United States is imported from overseas. Jackson says it’s important for their customers to know their products are produced in Wisconsin.

“Honey imported from places like India is cheaper, so when you’re eating honey cereal, honey-sweetened breads or fast food honey packets, that’s usually foreign honey,” Jackson explains. “The honey we make here in the Midwest is some of the best I’ve ever had. Today’s consumers want something that’s authentic – they want to know where their product comes from and integrity in the supply chain.”

One of the things that makes honey production different from other agricultural commodities is how it is all produced by hand.

“Beekeeping has to be done by hand. There is no substitute,” Jackson says. “There is no artificial intelligence. No machine can look into a beehive and tell you what’s going on inside, and I don’t see that changing. Even managing a single beehive is very hands-on.”

See more: From Bee to Bottle: How Honey Is Made

Though it’s hard work, Jackson says working with bees has been a labor of love. 

“There’s a huge amount of ecology in it, which I enjoy,” he says. “I just love being out in nature, working with the bees and taking care of them so they continue to take care of us.”

Country Bumpkin Farm Market: Beekeeping Supports Pollinators

Beekeepers keep bees for different reasons. Some do it for the honey production, while others do it for the pollination benefits. 

See more: How to Start a Pollinator Garden

At Country Bumpkin Farm Market in Wisconsin Dells, the Rhinehart family has been growing fresh berries, fruits and vegetables since 1997. When they noticed their strawberry plants were struggling, they started a small beekeeping operation to see if the small but mighty pollinators would help their plants with the tasks. 

“We saw a huge difference in our strawberries, thanks to the bees,” says Cindy Rhinehart, owner of Country Bumpkin Farm Market. “We only have four hives, but they do everything we need. Having the bees around has been very good for our raspberries and blueberries, too. Even our broccoli plants benefit because the bees love everything.”

After they close their farm market for the season in late October, Country Bumpkin harvests the honey from their hives. 

“Our honey is darker and richer because we let the bees pollinate everything, not just clover,” Rhinehart says. 

Rhinehart also discovered unexpected benefits of local honey — it helped with her seasonal allergies. 

See more: 8 Benefits of Honey You Might Not Know About

“Honey eliminated my hay fever,” she says. “I took a tablespoon every day for six months. The next season, I noticed when everyone was sneezing and dealing with runny noses, I no longer had any of that. Not only is honey delicious – it never goes bad, it doesn’t need refrigeration, and it’s so good for you.”

For more information about Wisconsin honey producers and honey products, visit waterfordbeecompany.com and countrybumpkinfarm.com.