Fifth Generation Beekeepers

In 1903, Edward Haefeli, whose father, Adolph, was a beekeeper in Switzerland, arrived in the San Luis Valley. In 1907, Edward opened his beekeeping operation in Monte Vista, Colorado. In 1935, Edward's son, John, finished high school and started building the Monte Vista Honey House. He and his wife, Patti, ran this business for 35 years.

Haefeli's, under the Mountain Bloom label, with honey from over 4,000 beehives, annually produces nearly 350 barrels of honey in Colorado and an additional 200 barrels from Texas. Special creamed honeys, high-quality beeswax, candles, ornaments and specialty items are now available. Still producing the superior honey and honey products they've been known for for nearly a century, these Haefeli descendants represent the fifth generation of beekeepers in Colorado.

Pollination

Why Pollination is So Important...Did you know that without pollination there would be no fruit? Pollination is what allows plants and trees to grow fruit and reproduce. When bees sip nectar, they collect pollen on their legs and bodies which then is transferred from flower to flower as the bee travels. Once pollinated, the plant or tree can then carry on the process of producing fruit.

Haefeli's honey bees travel to California to pollinate the almond trees, which begin to bloom there by the end of February. The bees stay for about three weeks pollinating the trees' many blooms, helping to ensure a productive crop of almonds. When the pollination is completed, the bees are then shipped back to Texas to help in the pollination process once again.