Member Spotlight: Planet Bee Honey Farm
Planet Bee Honey Farm – located in Vernon, BC – has been a family owned & operated business since 1997. Their mission is to provide the highest quality honey bee products packaged on their farm in the Okanagan Valley, sourced from local beekeepers. Planet Bee is certified Silver with GreenStep Sustainable Tourism. Continue reading to learn more about their sustainability journey:
Tell us a bit about your business. What makes you different?
Planet Bee Honey Farm & Honeymoon Meadery is an operating bee farm in the picturesque Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. They focus on presenting the “world of the honeybee,” and providing a full range of the finest bee products available for your pleasure and well-being. Planet Bee has chosen to participate and grow with the Sustainable Tourism Canada program because they see the value in the numerous suggestions they’ve received on becoming more sustainable and responsible stewards of our planet.
Why is sustainability important to you/your business?
Having worked with bees since the 1960s, owner Ed Nowek understands that his business could not survive without a healthy environment for his bees to thrive in. Sustainability has always been a part of our message with customers often asking us, what can they do to help support a healthy bee population. We are quick to offer them several tips such as planting a bee-friendly garden, limiting their household use of pesticides and buying organic fruits & veggies. Also asking your local farmer what they are doing to manage pests in a way that is mindful of the native pollinators.
Why did you join GreenStep Sustainable Tourism?
We knew we were taking steps to limit our impact, yet we wanted to measure and see just how well we stacked up against the average Canadian business, and identify areas for improvement.
What sustainability related projects, policies or initiatives do you most want travelers to know about?
Over the past 2 years, we are proud to have made our honey tasting station zero waste by switching from single use toothpicks to stainless steel spoons which are washed and reused. We have continued donating honey to Mamas for Mamas charity as part of our honey tasting flight boxes which have now sold close to 500 units, and we have added more sustainable products such as beeswax food wraps and biodegradable Swedish dishcloths. We also improved our on-site bee friendly gardens and added interactive learning components detailing pollinators and how to protect them.
What are some goals and/or actions you plan to take in the future to further increase the sustainability of your business?
Once we can become owners of our building instead of renters, we would like to add electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
To learn more about Planet Bee Honey Farm – visit their website: planetbee.com
