What Makes Choices Unique? Local Honey!

When you shop at a local market and grocery store like Choices, you expect to find specialty items that are hard to find anywhere else in Rockford. Local honey is just that kind of item. Choices has been sourcing local honey from Raines Honey Farm in Davis, IL ever since we were a tiny store located on Riverside Boulevard.

Phil and Sharon have been keeping bees for 24 years now, and have expanded every year to keep up with the demand for their pure, premium honey. Their hives can be found on small farms from Belvidere to Galena and Orfordville to Monroe. Crops, such as apples, almonds and pumpkins are being pollinated by the bees that the Raines family have been nurturing for years. In colder months, hives are transported to almond farms on the west coast, which are carefully chosen after reviewing each farms’ growing practices and making sure the hives will be safe and the bees happy. Their bees are like family to them. So if a hive is thriving, they are celebrating, but if they lose a hive they grieve.

Raines Honey is pure honey, getting its wonderful flavor from local flowers, mostly clover. They never cook, pressure filter or add anything to their honey. Instead of using chemicals, they work to use natural and organic solutions in their hives.

Over the years, Phil has taught beekeeping classes to share his knowledge and has inspired a new generation of bee keepers. We are grateful for the effort that Phil and Sharon make to care for these important pollinators which are crucial to our food supply and the health of our planet. You can find them both at local farmers’ markets. Their warm personalities make them a joy to work with.

At Choices, you will find Raines Honey in the baking aisle, near the other sweeteners. Take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy this sweet, local treat.