Bill Griffin freely admits it. His foray in honey-making began on a whim “I’d always been interested in bee-keeping, but knew nothing about it,” he says. When Blue Ridge Honey Company had a shipment of bees that went unclaimed by another customer, Bill “jumped in head over heels.”
That $400 investment five years ago has turned into Trillium Creek Farm – a successful purveyor of honey, pollen and bees. “It’s gotten much bigger than we anticipated,” Bill notes. With 60 colonies in three bee yards, “we quickly had more honey than we knew what to do with. It made sense to make it available to other folks.”
The resulting business is “above hobby-level but not quite a commercial operation,” Bill claims.
Still, Trillium Creek honey has already won awards from the Georgia Beekeepers Association. Several variations – all natural, pure, raw and unfiltered – are available:
- Sourwood Honey comes from the nectar of the flower of the Sourwood tree, which grows in Northeast Georgia, parts of North Carolina and Tennessee.
- Wildflower honey is an all-around honey. It will vary from year to year as it comes from the nectar of whatever is blooming, and its flavor is dependent on the choices the bees make.
- Creamed Honey is crystallized with very small sugar crystals and has the spreadable consistency of soft butter. It is typically made from the wildflower variety and infused with cinnamon or other flavors.
- Bee Pollen is a mixture of flower pollen, nectar, enzymes, honey, wax, and bee secretions. It is considered one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
Everything is available online at their website or through a variety of local merchants including Holistic Market, Reeves Hardware and Butler Galleries in Clayton, the Cupboard Café in Dillard and the Farmhouse Market at Lake Burton.
Trillium Creek Farm also sells bees for aspiring beekeepers and Bill is happy to “talk” bees at any time. Give him a call or visit his website for more details.
Trillium Creek Farm
226 Napoleon Lane
Tiger, GA 30576
Owners: Bill & Sandi Griffin
Phone: 706.982.0259
Email: wng@windstream.net
Website: www.trilliumcreekfarms.com