National Honey Bee Day is August 19
August 19 is National Honey Bee Day. According to the National Honey Board, honey bees are responsible for about 80 percent of all insect pollination. In all, honey bee pollination is valued at more than $17 billion a year.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has many programs to protect honey bees and all pollinators. These include a registry for beekeepers called BeeCheck, programs that educate farmers, homeowners and pesticide applicators on the importance of pollinators, and the addition of pollinator plots at research stations..
National Honey Bee Day is the perfect time to celebrate the delicious, natural sweetener they provide. Without bees, we wouldn’t have honey. The value of honey production in North Carolina in 2015 was $2.4 million. Visit the N.C State Bee Keepers Association for a list of honey producers in North Carolina.
Check out sweet and nutritious side dish recipe below from the National Honey Board.
1 tablespoon butter or margarine- 4 cups sliced carrots
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon minced orange zest
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
In large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add carrots and sauté for several minutes. Add honey, broth, orange juice and orange zest. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until carrots are cooked and liquid is thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Check out the National Honey Board’s website, www.honey.com, for more recipes featuring honey.