Experience the buzz at Wild Harvest Honey with Amber Rutledge, one of the few honey connoisseurs in the world.
Amber’s Illinois farm is steeped in a rich history of beekeeping that spans over a century. From the thriving apiary to the aromatic gardens, Wild Harvest Honey Farm is a hub for bee education and environmental conservation sharing the essential role pollinators play in our food chain.
Wild Harvest Honey Farm
Amber’s farm boasts a rich beekeeping legacy spanning many generations, starting with her grandfather, Ernest Boring, who happened upon the family’s future home by happenstance while traveling through the state after serving in World War II.
“Every happy memory I can remember as a kid was playing outside here, building things with my grandpa or my dad,” Amber said. “My grandpa ended up getting sick when I was still in high school. He passed away. [The farm] just sat empty for so many years that it was kind of sad to see the fun I had here not existing anymore.”
Since then, Amber has restarted her family’s honey farm. Not only that, but she’s also continued to expand her beekeeping knowledge and build on her family’s commitment to conservation and advancing community education around bees, honey, and their vital role in our food system.
From the lively apiary to the fragrant gardens, Wild Harvest Honey is abuzz today, offering tours, tasting, and a variety of honey and related products for consumers to try and buy.
“I think my grandpa would be very happy,” she said. “I’m really hoping that we keep growing and we keep going.”
Read More of Amber’s FarmHER Story
