05/27/2026
We get asked from time to time if our honey is “organic” and we have to explain that using the organic label on one’s honey is nothing more than a marketing gimmick to either sell the honey or to sell it at a marked-up price because the customer is being led to believe they’re actually getting organic honey. In order to say one’s honey is organic, the beekeeper must own and control about 7 square miles of flora that they know for sure has no pesticides or other chemicals on any of the plants the bees gather nectar from.
A simple internet search about organic honey sold in the USA produces this answer:
Can Honey Produced in the US Be Guaranteed to Be Organic?
Cannot be guaranteed to be organic
In the United States, honey cannot be guaranteed to be organic due to the lack of regulations. The USDA's National Organic Program states that certifiers can certify honey but does not provide guidance on criteria for use. There are no current standards for the term "organic" on honey, so anyone can claim their honey is organic as long as they don’t use the USDA seal. Certified organic honey must be certified from another country. The USDA has recommended guidelines for organic honey since 2001, but an actual organic standard for honey has been in the works since 2001. The most recent version of those recommendations suggests a 2-mile radius for organic forage, but many beekeepers suggest a larger area should be pesticide-free. As a result, the USDA cannot certify any American produced honey as organic.
So don't fall for "organic" just because the label says so! Ask questions and do your research! 🧐
