Local Michigan Honey
Michigan’s diverse landscapes and favorable climate make it an exceptional state for beekeeping and honey production. With its vast forests, rolling farmland, and proximity to the Great Lakes, the state provides bees with a wide array of nectar sources. Spring offers fruit blossoms like cherry and apple—Michigan being a top fruit-growing state—while summer brings clover, wildflowers, and basswood, followed by goldenrod and asters in the fall. The temperate summers and cold winters create a distinct growing season that concentrates bee activity, yielding robust honey harvests. Michigan’s strong agricultural tradition and rural expanses support a thriving beekeeping community, producing honey that embodies the state’s natural abundance.
What kind of Honey is produced in Michigan?
One standout honey from Michigan is star thistle honey, a single-source variety particularly associated with the state’s sandy soils in the western and northern regions. Derived from the knapweed plant (often called star thistle), which blooms in late summer, this honey is light in color with a mild, buttery flavor and a hint of spice, resisting crystallization due to its high fructose content. While wildflower honey is also widespread, star thistle has gained a reputation as a Michigan specialty, prized for its delicate taste and rarity, reflecting the state’s unique flora and beekeeping heritage.
​
After researching honey providers in Michigan, Sleeping Bear Farms stands out as an excellent choice for pure, raw, local Michigan honey, including star thistle. Based in Beulah, this family-owned apiary specializes in unfiltered, unheated honey from their hives in northwest Michigan, offering Star Thistle and Wildflower varieties. Their online store (www.sleepingbearfarms.com) ships nationwide, and customers rave about the quality—reviews on their site and platforms like Google praise it as “the best honey ever” and “pure Michigan magic,” with accolades for fast shipping and rich flavor. Sleeping Bear Farms’ focus on raw, single-source honey, deep ties to Michigan’s terroir, and stellar reputation make it the top pick for consumers seeking fresh, authentic Michigan honey.
​
