Hiwire Honey
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Saturday Winter Season Farmers Market, January-April: A-Shed
Saturday Grower Season Farmers Market, May-October: A-Shed
Saturday Holiday Season Farmers Market, November-December: A-Shed
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We’re BUZZING to introduce, Ray Lowe, owner and operator of Hiwire Honeybees!
Every Saturday morning for the past 6 years Ray has made the trip from Lafayette to the CNY Regional Market. His weekly journey has made local raw honey and bee products available to Syracuse area customers on a consistent basis. As a one-man-band, all honey is handled directly by Ray himself. Keeping it clean, Hiwire Honey is unfiltered and never heat processed so that all of the natural qualities remain in the product.
The health benefits of eating local raw honey is immense. Ray explained, ”Many people feel that regular usage of raw honey will help protect them from seasonal allergies and we have found this to be true." That daily exposure to local pollens can reduce your body's reaction during peak pollen seasons. Enjoying honey from your local area will ensure you are getting the same local pollens that bother you most. Your immune system can eventually become used to the pollen and build up immunity when allergy season comes around.
During his 35 years as a landscape supervisor and equipment operator, Ray took up beekeeping as a hobby and small personal side gig. Eventually the endeavor became too large to coexist with the landscaping and one had to go. Naturally, beekeeping was Ray’s first choice. Occasionally people will ask if beekeeping is Ray’s "retirement plan", but he doesn’t see retirement in his future. At Hiwire, Ray finds himself working 12+ hour days which is more than required for landscaping and much of the work is equally as demanding physically.
Even in the winter there is work to BEE done. Supplementing feed for hives, building new hive equipment, and preparing for the explosion of work in March and April. Ray shared, ”My years always vary but with about 150 hives to manage, plus house calls to manage customer hives, there is enough to keep me busy seven days a week. Depending on the year, the weather, and the annual plan, Hiwire will sometimes make over 7000 LBS of honey. We also sell comb honey, honeybee colonies, queens, woodenware parts, bottles, and all equipment needed by many of the local hobbyists in the area." Hiwire also supplies honey for resale to some area stores or it can be purchased by appointment at the shop on Rt. 20 in Lafayette.
More recently, Hiwire has added a BUZZ-worthy addition to their business -- a variety of pure beeswax candles, curated by Ray's wife, Sally. Beeswax is a by-product of honey extraction and the logical progression was to start rendering it to make candles. Creating candles became a way for Sally to contribute, without having to interact directly with the bees themselves.
In his free time, Ray also helps run two local bee clubs. He enjoys inviting new or prospective beekeepers to visit and chat or spend time tagging along on daily beekeeping chores. Other than at the CNY Regional Market, you can always contact Ray on facebook or by phone at (315) 395-8473.
