Honey Bees in Daybreak Producing a Delicious Product

By Aimee L. Cook

South Jordan - Did you know the Daybreak community had honeybees? About 200 of them. Hives are located on the island in a temporary tree farm and also in the ‘Bingham Preserve,’ which is a 200-acre space filled with clover and a stream.

Skip Jones, of the Jones Bee Company, maintains the hives. From the 200 hives, the bees produce 2000 pounds of honey a year. The honey is packaged and currently sold at Swirly Girls Bakery located in Daybreak’s SoDa Row. In addition, Chef Jennifer Gilroy, of Meditrina and Porch restaurants, uses Daybreak Honey in some of their recipes. Soon, Daybreak Honey will be available in other outlets. 

“When we re-vegetated the unused land in Daybreak, we planted a mix of plants that bees can utilize,” Skip Jones, beekeeper, said. “Beehives pollinate a large variety of plants which helps the ecosystem remain diverse and sustainable. Daybreak is planned around building a community that is forward thinking.”

Bees can fly one half of a mile from the hive without exerting too much of their energy. Daybreak bees are a Carniolan/Italian hybrid bee that thrives on water and flowers. To accommodate this, a mixture of clover was planted so the bees had a plethora of nectar to help them produce.

“When the opportunity to do something sustainable for the environment and have a place for bees presented itself, we all jumped at the chance,” Jones said. “In addition, the beehives allow for agricultural use before community development occurs on the land.”

The hives are moved to California during the winter months. The beeswax is also utilized to make a natural lip balm that is sold at the Nest, also on SoDa Row. Waste not want not, the Daybreak bees are a welcomed resident.