In 1796 an Irish immigrant settled in the valley of Glade Run in Preston County, WV. For two centuries his descendants farmed the land, and keeping a hive or two of honeybees on the farm was common practice. In the 1980's one of the grandchildren from Pittsburgh, PA was given a beehive by Herbie, an old local beekeeper.
Honey production requires multiple sites, known as bee yards, where honeybees can be located close to floral sources to capture precious nectar. Soon the family expanded multiple bee yards north of Pittsburgh, PA on dormant farms, hidden woodlots, and near protected greenspaces, taking advantage of dominant local blooms such as locust tree, clover, wildflower, and goldenrod. Specialty nectar crops were planted, including clover, trefoil, wet branch alfalfa, and buckwheat for honey production.
The family follows low impact honey processing to preserve the rich flavor and micronutrients present in the honey, proven by the many loyal customers who love their honey, and have won multiple awards at the Pennsylvania Farm Show as well as a past prestigious “Best” award from the Eastern Apicultural Society. They are known for their flavorful wildflower honey.
Maple Valley Farms continues to work cooperatively with other Pennsylvania beekeepers in supplying honey of the highest quality. Owner Cathy Guthrie plans a new haven for honeybees on a 186 acre farm located in Spartansburg, PA.
LOCATION
Pittsburgh, PA
500
Field Grown
Honey