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Associated Press
13-03-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Sioux Honey and Food City Partner for Record Honey Donation
Children's charities in Virginia & Tennessee receive gift - and sweet lesson, too Johnson City, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - The Sioux Honey Association Co-op is pleased to announce its participation at the Coalition For Kids after-school program alongside a group of about 50 children during in an interactive lesson on honey and honeybee pollination on Wednesday. The event at the Johnson City nonprofit was part of a broader effort to make a record donation of honey by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op, a beekeeper-owned group of 175+ beekeepers, that was joined by regional grocer Food City to donate 2½ tons of SUE BEE® clover honey to three child-focused organizations: Coalition For Kids; Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in Knoxville; and Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. The honey will be used as part of meals and snacks for after-school programs, organizers said. The donation of 540 cases (with 6,480 bottles of honey) was divided evenly among the three nonprofits. 'It's a ton of honey - actually about two-and-a-half tons,' said Kevin Hueser, President & CEO of the Sioux Honey Co-op. 'But it will go fast; it should certainly be gone before the three-year expiration date for honey passes.' On Wednesday, children at Coalition For Kids learned about worker bees, drone bees and queen bees, as well as how honeybees help pollinate everyday foods, such as almonds, melons and avocados. To demonstrate the pollination process, children played 'honeybees,' with yellow cotton balls while other students portrayed 'flowers' by holding cups filled with different-colored glitter. The children learned how honeybees carry pollen from flower to flower, and how cross-pollination happens as pollens mix. 'It was a fun exercise for our after-school kids,' said Randy Hensley, Executive Director at Coalition For Kids. 'And the honey donation will help with snacks for the kids in our after-school programs.' Said Chris Mitchell, President at Mountain Mission School: 'As a beekeeper myself, I understand the importance of this process of nature; honeybee pollination is an essential part of the food production process.' Wednesday's donations to the three child-focused organizations are just one of several donation efforts planned by the Sioux Honey Co-op in 2025. More donations will be coming later this summer following the honey harvest season. 'As beekeepers, we are passionate not only about our honey, but also about giving back to the communities we serve,' said David Coy, a third-generation Sioux Honey Co-op beekeeper whose family tends to beehives in Perkinston, Miss., and Hebron, N.D. More than 50 students who take part in the Coalition For Kids after-school program in Johnson City, participated Wednesday in an interactive and hands-on lesson about honeybees and how honeybee pollination works. The event was part of a large honey donation made by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op and Food City. A donation of 2,160 bottles of SUE BEE® honey was made to Coalition For Kids in Johnson City on Wednesday by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op and Food City. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: [ This image cannot be displayed. Please visit the source: ] To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: ABOUT SIOUX HONEY: In 1921, the Sioux Honey Co-op began as a small group of just five beekeepers. Located near Sioux City, Iowa, they shared equipment, marketing and processing facilities - all to help support one another. Today, Sioux Honey is still a co-op, but it has grown into 175+ beekeepers nationwide. Some have been members for decades - part of families who have passed down the trade for generations - and some have pioneered and started their own bee farms. But all of the members have a passion for producing a pure, quality product that customers can trust. And we're proud to say we know each of our beekeepers by name, because we've learned that's how you produce the best honey for more than a century. ABOUT FOOD CITY: Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City's parent company) operates 158 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. 402-740-8188
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sioux Honey and Food City Partner for Record Honey Donation
Children's charities in Virginia & Tennessee receive gift - and sweet lesson, too Johnson City, Tennessee--(Newsfile Corp. - March 12, 2025) - The Sioux Honey Association Co-op is pleased to announce its participation at the Coalition For Kids after-school program alongside a group of about 50 children during in an interactive lesson on honey and honeybee pollination on Wednesday. The event at the Johnson City nonprofit was part of a broader effort to make a record donation of honey by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op, a beekeeper-owned group of 175+ beekeepers, that was joined by regional grocer Food City to donate 2½ tons of SUE BEE® clover honey to three child-focused organizations: Coalition For Kids; Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley in Knoxville; and Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Va. The honey will be used as part of meals and snacks for after-school programs, organizers said. The donation of 540 cases (with 6,480 bottles of honey) was divided evenly among the three nonprofits. "It's a ton of honey - actually about two-and-a-half tons," said Kevin Hueser, President & CEO of the Sioux Honey Co-op. "But it will go fast; it should certainly be gone before the three-year expiration date for honey passes." On Wednesday, children at Coalition For Kids learned about worker bees, drone bees and queen bees, as well as how honeybees help pollinate everyday foods, such as almonds, melons and avocados. To demonstrate the pollination process, children played "honeybees," with yellow cotton balls while other students portrayed "flowers" by holding cups filled with different-colored glitter. The children learned how honeybees carry pollen from flower to flower, and how cross-pollination happens as pollens mix. "It was a fun exercise for our after-school kids," said Randy Hensley, Executive Director at Coalition For Kids. "And the honey donation will help with snacks for the kids in our after-school programs." Said Chris Mitchell, President at Mountain Mission School: "As a beekeeper myself, I understand the importance of this process of nature; honeybee pollination is an essential part of the food production process." Wednesday's donations to the three child-focused organizations are just one of several donation efforts planned by the Sioux Honey Co-op in 2025. More donations will be coming later this summer following the honey harvest season. "As beekeepers, we are passionate not only about our honey, but also about giving back to the communities we serve," said David Coy, a third-generation Sioux Honey Co-op beekeeper whose family tends to beehives in Perkinston, Miss., and Hebron, N.D. More than 50 students who take part in the Coalition For Kids after-school program in Johnson City, participated Wednesday in an interactive and hands-on lesson about honeybees and how honeybee pollination works. The event was part of a large honey donation made by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op and Food City. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: A donation of 2,160 bottles of SUE BEE® honey was made to Coalition For Kids in Johnson City on Wednesday by the Sioux Honey Association Co-op and Food City. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: For media inquiries or to schedule an interview with a Sioux Honey representative, please contact Jim Minge at 402-740-8188 or jim@ PHOTOS; For additional photos and VIDEO available upon request via jim@ To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: ABOUT SIOUX HONEY: In 1921, the Sioux Honey Co-op began as a small group of just five beekeepers. Located near Sioux City, Iowa, they shared equipment, marketing and processing facilities - all to help support one another. Today, Sioux Honey is still a co-op, but it has grown into 175+ beekeepers nationwide. Some have been members for decades - part of families who have passed down the trade for generations - and some have pioneered and started their own bee farms. But all of the members have a passion for producing a pure, quality product that customers can trust. And we're proud to say we know each of our beekeepers by name, because we've learned that's how you produce the best honey for more than a century. ABOUT FOOD CITY: Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City's parent company) operates 158 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. COALITION FOR KIDS: & GIRLS CLUBS of the Tennessee Valley: MISSION SCHOOL: CONTACTJim MingeSioux Honey PR Liaison402-740-8188jim@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
10-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Sioux Honey Co-Op's Brands are the First Honey Brands to Earn American Farmland Trust's U.S. Farmed™ Certification
Washington, D.C., Feb. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sioux Honey Association Co-op, the gold standard of honey since 1921, and American Farmland Trust, a national nonprofit working to save the land that sustains us, announce the joint launch of U.S. Farmed™ certified honey, a standard for consumer-packaged goods proven to contain at least 95% of ingredients grown in the United States. Sioux Honey Association Co-op's brands Sue Bee® and Aunt Sue's® become the first honey brands in the nation to earn U.S. Farmed™ certification. By choosing U.S. Farmed™ products, consumers can ensure the products they purchase directly benefit the livelihood of American farmers, helping to ensure a vibrant and thriving agricultural sector in America. Funds raised through the certification of each product will benefit American Farmland Trust's work to preserve farmland and keep farmers on the land, both by providing U.S. farmers across all 50 states with free resources and one-on-one expert advisory services, while also expanding AFT's programs to help them to access, protect, and maintain American farmland. 'The U.S. Farmed™ certification is an important milestone in our ongoing dedication to honesty and integrity in our honey,' said Sioux Honey Association Co-op President and CEO Kevin Hueser. 'From the beehive to the household, you can be sure that our honey is harvested and packaged within the United States. Sioux Honey Co-op and AFT commit to increase demand for American-grown products; invest in the future by encouraging domestic production; and help to preserve farmland.' AFT created the standard because America's farmland is under threat. Two thousand acres are paved over, fragmented or converted every day and millions more will be lost by 2040 if these trends continue. Moreover, one-third of the nation's farm and ranch land, 300 million acres, will change hands in the next 20 years as aging farmers exit the field, making the land vulnerable to development. 'U.S. Farmed™ directly supports AFT's mission—to save the land that sustains us by protecting farmland, keeping farmers on the land, and promoting forward-looking farming practices,' said AFT President and CEO John Piotti. 'Businesses can market their support for U.S. farms by getting certified and proudly placing the U.S. Farmed™ seal on their products. Americans can support farmers by choosing U.S. Farmed™ certified products.' 'We hope consumers and businesses alike will join the movement and help grow our future,' said Piotti. 'Choosing U.S. Farmed™ is not just about a label, it's about investing in the future of American agriculture. It's about growing strong farms, vibrant communities, and delicious food and drinks – all from right here in the USA. Join the movement, choose U.S. Farmed™, and let's cultivate a thriving future.' To become US Farmed™ certified, companies should reach out to AFT to talk about their eligibility for the program, then undergo a third-party audit to ensure their ingredients are at least 95% U.S. grown. Go to to learn more. ### For 100+ years, Sue Bee® and Aunt Sue's® honey has been enjoyed by generation after generation. But you might be wondering, how does a honey company maintain this reputation for that long? It's because Sue Bee® and Aunt Sue's® honey is harvested and produced right here in the U.S., direct from our trusted beekeepers – the fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters who have made it their lifelong profession to share sweetness with others. It's because of them we've passed the 100-mile marker. And it's because of them you're guaranteed pure, quality honey in every drop. Sioux Honey Co-op members have been a part for decades – part of families who have passed down the trade for generations – and some have pioneered and started their own bee farms. But all of the members have a passion for producing a pure, quality product that customers can trust. And we're proud to say we know each of our beekeepers by name, because we've learned that's how you produce the best honey for more than a century. American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms No Food® message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally sound farming practices on millions of additional acres, and supported thousands of farm families.
