Epic Travel → North America → The South → Florida → Tampa Bay Area → Sarasota Honey Company

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Time Required: 30 minutes to visit the store, 2 hours for the Beekeeper Experience tour

Red Tape/Notes: The shop is open Thursday – Saturday from 11am to 6pm, and Tuesday from 9:30am to 2:30pm. The Beekeeper Experience tour is offered Thursday – Saturday at 9am and Sunday through Tuesday any time before 1pm. Email or call to schedule a tour – contact information and additional details can be found on their website.

What’s Nearby?: Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, The Ringling, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

This place has a fascinating history and a truly heart-warming purpose. I thought we were just going to learn about and play with bees (and wear ridiculous outfits). I ended up feeling like this might be the single most heart-warming and inspirational place I’ve visited, from both an environmental and a social standpoint. The directors of the company found bees through their struggles to pollinate their organic garden, and the combination of their love of bees along with understanding their importance in the environment led them to become beekeepers and establish the Sarasota Honey Company. The social aspect comes from the special dedication they have to the special needs community – through the company’s beekeeping efforts and their product store, they provide training, mentorship, and employment to members of the special needs community, with a focus on transitioning youth with special needs. The result is an environmentally beneficial base (lots of happy, healthy bees), staffed largely by the special needs community where they learn valuable skills and gain confidence, while producing great artisanal honey, soaps, candles and other products that you feel very happy to buy, knowing what you’re a part of!

Epic Travel →North America → The South → Florida → Tampa Bay Area → Sarasota Honey Company