Kootney’s Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer and Honey Bee Zen Apiaries Fundraise For Bee Research

With World Bee Day and BC’s Day of the Honey Bee fast approaching on May 20th, two Kootenay businesses, Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer and Honey Bee Zen Apiaries, are launching a bold initiative to support community fundraising and bee research. The two companies have joined forces to launch a specially-labelled 500g jar of pure Canadian wildflower honey. Each company will donate partial proceeds from each jar sold to programs they support. Pealow’s will use proceeds to fund local charitable programs. Honey Bee Zen will contribute equally to Canadian bee research and honey authentication programs.

“We always seek new and creative ways to support our community. The partnership with Honey Bee Zen has brought together two of our core values. We can support a local food producer, and a portion of every jar sold goes back to invest in local community initiatives,” said Brian Pealow, Owner/Operator of Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer. “We thank Jeff and Amanda of Honey Bee Zen and all those who purchase a jar of this delicious honey for their support.”

“When Brian and Julia Pealow approached us with this idea of creating a special-label honey that could be used to generate fundraising for our communities, we jumped at the idea,” said Amanda Goodman Lee, Honey Bee Zen’s Co-owner and President.

“My partner, Jeff Lee, and I firmly support our community. Helping Brian and Julia generate funds for their considerable charitable efforts makes so much sense. At the same time, it allows Jeff and me to contribute to important bee research and honey authentication programs. We want people to have complete confidence in the purity of the Canadian honey they buy, and we also want to help research into the complexities bees face in this increasingly urbanized world.”

The program comes when Canadians have renewed preference for wholly Canadian brands and foods. It is also being announced as the Province of BC proclaims World Bee Day and Day of the Honey Bee on May 20th. This proclamation, which marries two international recognitions of the critical environmental importance of both honey bees and native pollinators, raises public awareness of the value these insects play in our lives.

Both Honey Bee Zen and Pealow’s Your Independent Grocer are wholly-owned Canadian companies. The honey in this project is quality raw and unpasteurized honey produced by Western Canadian beekeepers.

Under the program, every 500g jar of Pealow’s Wildflower Honey sold will generate proceeds that will be disbursed by each company on a quarterly basis starting in 2025. The product is available now at both Pealow’s store in Creston, and online at HoneyBeeZen.com.