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We’re just going to make this one thing clear: Straight-up pollen is not for sale at the BeeWitched Bee booth at Bay Shore’s weekly Bounty by the Bay farmer’s market at the bandshell.
Owners Neal Wechsler and Samantha Boyd don’t have the hearts to take that much-needed pollen away from the bees on their Northport property, even though it helps fight allergies. They inform us the bees need the pollen to feed their young. (And the bees work hard for it.)
But Wechsler says a teaspoon of pure honey every day is just as effective in building up an immunity to pollen as straight pollen. “You just need to start taking it before allergy season, like in February before it’s full-blown allergy season,” he told GreaterBayshore.
We got this education at the BeeWitched booth during last week’s Bounty by the Bay farmers market, which is held every Friday. BeeWitched sells raw honey, honey sticks, all-natural lip balm, solid perfume, as well as an assortment of infused honey. So what do people do with infused honey?
“Some they use to cook with, some they just use to put on cheese and crackers, and others they’ll put in their tea,” Wechsler tell us. “The lavender one, people will put in tea at night because lavender helps them to relax.
“We also have ones, like chocolate chile, that people like to put over their yogurt,” he added.
BeeWitched started with Neil and Samantha simply wanting to help bees, whose habitats and food sources are continually threatened across the U.S. and elsewhere due to development.
“We never intended to turn it into a business,” said Wechsler, an architect.
Lastly, here’s a fun fact they like to share with people:
“One bee in its entire life, will only produce 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey,” Wechsler said.
So that’s bees lives you’re eating. BeeWitched wants you to appreciate it.
The Bounty by the Bay farmers market runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Friday at the Main Street bandshell in Bay Shore through Sept. 29.
Look for more farmers market profiles on GreaterBayShore.
prior coverage:
The farmers market heads back to Bay Shore with May 19 grand opening
