Organic Thyme and Clover Honey, and Organic Bee Pollen
Welcome to the site of Wildpure Beekeeping, a small family owned beekeeping business in Central Otago, New Zealand. Please be aware this site is still under development, so any information here is not necessarily complete and correct at time of writing.
Wildpure Ltd
Wildpure is a small beekeeping business, with 600 beehives placed in apiaries around Central Otago. From these beehives, we harvest two crops of honey. Thyme honey (Thymus vulgaris) is collected by the bees in November, and any surplus honey is harvested by us in December. Many of the beehives are then moved from the dry hillsides around Alexandra into highland pastures where clover honey (Trifolium spp) is produced by the bees in January and February. If conditions are favourable, Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare) honey is sometimes produced by the beehives around Alexandra in February and March. Early in the honey season, around October/November, bee pollen may be harvested from some beehives if surplus pollen supplies are available.
Beekeeping is a way of life for us, and the present owners of Wildpure Apiculture are the 4th generation of our family to be beekeepers.
The focus of our company is the small scale production of certified organic honeys, bee pollen and beeswax for niche export markets. We specialise in bulk wholesale orders, but we are presently developing some consumer products.
Central Otago
Central Otago is a special place to live and to produce natural food such as organic honey. Much of the area is mountainous or grazing land. The winters are typically long and harsh, the summers hot and dry and autumn and spring are spectacular transition periods. This environment is challenging for bees and beekeepers, but can be very rewarding if we have favourable conditions. Thyme honey is produced only in Central Otago in New Zealand, and in Greece. Summer rain can bring an abundance of spectacular wildflowers, and our honey often carries the flavours of these. In the Alexandra Basin there are many orchards and vineyards producing award-winning wines and produce. Although we live amongst the vineyards and orchards, most of our bees do not, as our organic status precludes placing beehives in areas of intensive agriculture or viticulture.