A tour of Dickey Bee Honey in Innisfil was a sweet way to end March Break for a dozen children and their parents.
Dickey Bee Honey is a fourth generation business that started in the early 1930s in Delhi, Ontario.
Peter Dickey moved the operation to Innisfil in the early 2000s.
The Dickeys are busy bees during the production season and when the hives aren't producing honey, they are sharing their knowledge with school children and community members.
Their efforts have been awarded again and again, most impressively in 2013 at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto when they won the three top awards.
Ribbons adorn the walls, including Grand Champion, Premier Exhibit - highest score in all honey categories.
"We haven't gone back for a couple of years, but I likely will this year," Peter Dickey said. "We really went out on a high note in 2013."
A new honey house and teaching facility was buzzing with little voices during March Break, as dozens of children learned the ins and outs of bee-keeping.
"When designing and building our new honey house & teaching facility, we took great care in thinking about how we could build a green sustainable facility and the benefits that we can pass along to our staff, consumer, schools, etc.," explained Peter Dickey.
"We installed a geo-thermal system, lux lighting, and a dedicated plumbing manifold system that is water wise and pressure efficient for the entire building."
Inside the building there is a museum showcasing tools and equipment that have been used and passed through the previous three generations of bee-keepers in the family.
"As well, we can fill your own container with honey, therefore reducing waste to the landfill sites," Dickey said.
Visitors learn about the business and tour the packaging room to learn the method for creating creamed honey, honey butter or just pouring and filling jars from the barrels of extracted honey.
"The most exciting part of our new honey house is the classroom we have set up so that we can facilitate schools, groups, clubs and organizations, and educate everyone on the importance of the honey bee, pollination, and our food chain," Dickey said.
"When you have taken the tour and have allowed us to teach you along the way that you will leave with a renewed sense of the valuable importance of the honey bee and what we can all do as a community to protect and nurture these amazing pollinators."
To book a tour, workshop or course, email [email protected] or call 705-458-1258.
