phi·los·o·phy
noun
the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
My name is Todd Parsons and I'm a beekeeper + owner/operator of State Street Honey. Founded in 2010 with one hive, bees have quickly become my passion. Today I currently manage over 250 colonies housed on distinct properties around the San Francisco Bay Area. Each location evokes a unique flavor profile, ranging from woodsy & complex to light & subtle. The range of flora in different neighborhoods - large stands of Eucalyptus, wildflowers, berries, fruit trees, native scrub and chaparral - each impart an essence that makes State Street Honey uniquely coastal Californian.
Queen selection
to combat varroa Destructor - the honeybee’s main pathogen vector - I have been selectively breeding + incorporating other VSH (VARROA SENSITIVE HYGIENE) queens into my selection process, with the goal of someday mitigating the need to treat colonies for varroa.
Through selective breeding, I choose only a few queens from my entire apiary to graft from. Those daughter queens will populate my entire apiary for the coming year. My Breeding selection parameters are in the areas of honey production, gentleness, and hygiene. VSH bees carry a trait that allows them to find infected larvae and clean Varroa, so as to manage its population within the colony. If left unchecked, bees with average to low hygiene will quickly be overtaken by varroa mites in late summer and fall. With Vsh bees, their help allows - in combination with other pest management techniques - for the exclusion of harsh chemicals.
Raw honey
During the extraction process, the honey is spun via a large centrifuge and fed to a large settling tank that skims the wax off with a baffle system. The honey is then pumped to a very large holding tank, where it is allowed to settle overnight. As the honey sits in the large tank, all the waxy and other bits that the baffel system missed, float to the top.
The honey is then poured into 5 gallon buckets to await bottling. Zero filtering and minimal heat allow for the tastiest and purest honey in the sf bay area. you'll experience a range of subtle and layered flavors you probably haven't tasted before.
SUSTAINABLE APIARIES. HONEST HONEY.
it simply tastes better.
