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By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune November 15. 2014 6:24PM Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Honey-related goods and materials are on display at the Oregon Honey Festival at the Historic Ashland Springs Hotel on Saturday. Photo by Larry Stauth Jr. Rogue Valley residents and tourists alike flocked to the Ashland Springs Hotel like bees to honey for the Oregon Honey Festival Saturday afternoon. The explosion of beekeeping as a hobby and craft industry in recent years has been attributed to both widespread colony collapse in honeybee populations and to the burgeoning natural foods market. By 11 a.m., almost two dozen vendors had set up shop in the hotel's upstairs ballroom, their products ranging from raw honey to candles, soaps and lotions. Erica Mitchell, who co-owns Humble Bee Honey, based in the Willamette Valley, said she had been interested in beekeeping for years before she finally took the plunge. "I got into it about six years ago," she said. "I didn't have anything else going on, so I apprenticed with a beekeeper and went from there." Saturday afternoon, her booth's shelves were stocked with jar after jar of blackberry honey, made with nectar collected from blackberry flowers. At Phoenix-based Wylie's Honey Brews, honey is mixed with whole spices and jun — an enzyme culture similar to that used to make kombucha — to produce eight different sodas distributed throughout the Rogue Valley. "It's definitely a niche market," said production foreman Randall Fitzpatrick. "Primarily for health-conscious people who want an alternative to mainstream sodas." Even larger, established Southern Oregon businesses are getting in on the beekeeping action. Rogue Creamery executive assistant Paula Rissler said the company has been keeping bees on its dairy farm, whose honey is now packaged under the company's label alongside its line of cheeses. "We know what they eat, so it's as close to 'organic' as you can get," she said. Because it's hard to ensure bees haven't collected nectar from plants treated with pesticides, it's difficult to certify honey as an organic food product. Certification difficulties aside, Oregon's honey industry is booming if the demand for beekeeping supplies is any indication. Shastina Millwork in White City has been doing steady business selling hive boxes since 2004. Millwright Andrew Hall said the company has a large base of local customers, but it's now supplying honey producers throughout the country. "The commercial producers can't buy enough," he said. "Last year, we sold and shipped more than 300,000 boxes." Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected]. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141115/NEWS/141119708 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->