Harvesting Honey the Freshwater Farm Way: From Hive to Hero Ingredient
Bees & Blossoms: The Making of Manuka Honey
Our bees are always at work, harvesting nectar throughout the seasons. But there’s a particularly exciting moment on the farm each year: late spring into early summer, when our lemon-scented tea tree (Leptospermum petersonii) groves bursts into bloom. These delicate flowers offer a fragrant nectar source that our bees can't resist.
As the flowering extends into the Australian summer months (December to February), the bees continue foraging from these blossoms. It’s this summer harvest that transforms the nectar into Manuka honey, rich in methylglyoxal (MGO) — the chemical compound that makes Manuka honey unique and gives it its powerful antibacterial benefits.
"The bees know exactly what to do — nature leads, and we just support it."
— Al, Co-Founder of Freshwater Farm
To ensure the purity and potency of this honey, we’ve placed select hives adjacent to the lemon-scented tea tree groves. This thoughtful positioning enhances MGO levels, and by separating the honey harvested at this time, we’re able to maximize the unique benefits of our farm’s flora.
A Tradition of Care & Collaboration
Honey harvesting at Freshwater Farm is not only a tradition — it's a collaborative experience that brings together our team and our broader community. This past Easter, we welcomed Lizzie Wellborn, our Freshwater Farm ambassador, to the property for a behind-the-scenes look at how we care for our hives.
Lizzie joined Al, our co-founder and a hands-on part of the harvest team, as he performed a wellness check on the hives. Together, they carried out routine inspections to monitor hive health — checking the strength of the colonies, assessing brood patterns, and ensuring the environment remained supportive for healthy, productive bees. The hives were thriving, with signs of a strong queen and healthy brood production — a testament to the ongoing care our bees receive year-round.
From Flower to Hero Ingredient
The honey our bees produce from the groves of lemon-scented tea tree — becomes one of the hero ingredients in our best-selling Freshwater Farm products. As the bees collect nectar and transform it into honey through a natural enzymatic process called inversion, they create Manuka honey, known for its hydrating and soothing qualities that enhance everything from soap bars to body washes.
Each product infused with our farm-harvested Manuka honey captures the care, craftsmanship, and natural abundance of life on the land.
From flower to hive to your home, our Manuka honey is more than an ingredient — it's a story of sustainability, family, and the harmony of nature at work.
View our product range which includes our Manuka Honey products, here.
