The Beehive State

Utah has been a leader in apiary science for crop pollination and honey production for over 150 years.

- SHERRY MONAHAN

Honey is nature's sugar, and enterprising pioneers in Utah knew that, so they started beekeeping, which became popular in the 1870s. Mr. A.F.MacDonald shared his thoughts on the subject. In 1870, he told The Deseret News he believed investing in honey bees for home consumption was good for many reasons. He noted that sugar dependency could go down, and if enough bees were imported, honey could be exported. He noted, “I got thirty pounds of honey from two swarms of bees... and this is only a small part of what can be done.” In 1872 the Deseret Bee Keepers' Association was formed, and various other bee associations formed over the years.