Established in 2010, the Ballard Bee Company began with four hives in owner Corky Luster's yard in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. But what started as a hobby soon grew into a full-fledged business and he now has a series of hives throughout the neighborhood. The result is raw, unfiltered honey that is local not just to a specific region but to a specific neighborhood.
Seattle limits the number of hives to four per home, so Luster came up with the idea to work with other homeowners to help support the local honey movement. Neighbors can either sponsor or lease hives and Ballard Bee Company does all of the servicing. The honey, bottled in fresh, eye-catching jars is then sold to local restaurants and small distributors in Washington and Oregon.
In addition to honey sales, Ballard Bee Company also offers consultation services for novice beekeepers as well as beekeeping supplies via its website. Just last week, the company was awarded the AMD VISIONary of the Year award, a $20,000 prize that will go to apiary expansion and a retail space where Luster can operate his business and sell beekeeping supplies.
For more information, visit Ballard Bee Company.
(Image: Ballard Bee Company)
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sprout Side Table
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Thanks for showcasing this!
A note for Seattle area people with allergies: I've heard (and tried, with good results) that eating raw honey from bees living in the same area you live in helps relieve pollen allergies. Because the bees are making their honey from the same local plants and flowers that are causing your allergies, if you eat a spoonful every day, it builds up some immunity. I've found it to be very helpful.
While it's always a great idea to buy as much as you can locally, it's sad to see the local honey myth continue to spread. Despite the hype, the truth is that local honey has no effect on allergies, except for perhaps a placebo effect. It can't; that's not the way that allergens work. The use of local honey has been researched and found to provide no relief from or prevention of allergy symptoms whatsoever.
Reputable information about the local honey myth is widely available, including the research results. Please educate yourself before spreading misinformation.
So thrilled to see this here. I live in Ballard and love what's going on in our community. Ballard Bee Company is just a tiny part of everything that's kicking ass!
@ Keira,
Please take a better look at the research which you say disproves the "myth". Commonly this research is done over short periods of time, many allergy sufferers claim they do not feel relief until several months after starting a honey regimen. Also why is this theory denied? A common argument is that grass / juniper and other allergic pollens are windborn - not the same "flower pollens' that bee's go and collect. Do a little research yourself, windborn pollen is a very common honey "contaminant"... In europe a common allergy treatment is sublingual allergy drops which include the offending pollen - works the same as an allergy shot. If you speak to different allergists there are those who support the honey theory and those who don't... I say a person might as well try the honey, if nothing else the extra "good stuff" in it might boost your immune system enough to help relieve some of those allergies! As a lifetime allergy sufferer, I have started taking local honey myself... Still too early to say it works but I have noticed I get the same feeling I get after I get an allergy shot - about 20 minutes after I take it. All in my head? Maybe... But the jury in science is still out :) If it helps someone - don't bash it. I could find you quite a few reputable modern research articles in support of using honey for allergies.