National Honey Library will soon Provide Authenticity of Honey

   There is a project currently underway to trace and track the origins of honey in Australia.
   This project is being conducted by the CRC Centre whom we are Research Partners with (see here).

   In this research project, scientists are collecting thousands of honey samples
   to develop a new national honey library.

   The project is aimed at increasing supply chain transparency by developing
   a new hive-to-shelf traceability system.

   The industry says it's important it has the tools to prove the authenticity of its honey
   following the 2018 adulteration scandal.

Inspiration

I’ve been in sales for the past 35 years, however, I’m the happiest when my wife Kerry and I see Sydney in our rear vision mirror and are going ‘bush’. Before buying our farm South West of Grafton (bottom end of the Northern Rivers), I knew absolutely nothing about living on the land or being a farmer, grower, or planter – that’s where Gather By came in.

After meeting Matt, founder and CEO of Gather By, Kerry and I got excited. The wheels in our heads were spinning, knowing in our hearts that this was our way of getting out of the city and building something meaningful for our retirement (within the next 5-10 years). With guidance from Gather By, we found a suitable property, made our land purchase and we now have around 3,500 plants in the ground with the next 1,250 plants being planted this Spring of 2020.

Once the plants are in the ground, they require minimal effort and, for the most part, we can sit back, relax, and wait for them to mature. 

Like any plant, the Leptospermum, although quite durable, still requires rain to stimulate healthy growth. The images below show heavy rain that fell during the growth of Leptospermum planted at Boolambayte, which dramatically assisted the progress of these plants.

The other images depict various stages of the plants’ growth, which wouldn’t have been made possible without the Gather By team and volunteers – like our golden retriever friend! 

The planting phase of the Gather By model is the most significant and, therefore, it is crucial it done correctly.

This is where planning and preparation comes to life. The images below demonstrate the planting process – from clearing the land to putting the plants in the ground. This process also involves putting down weed mats, digging holes, and putting protective barriers around each Leptospermum plant.

We take pride in each and every plant we put in the ground and love that we can share with you where our unique honey originates from and how each jar is created.  

Following the exploring and selection of appropriate land for a Medicinal Honey Forest, the Gather By team gets to work on planning and preparation.

This stage involves a lot of research, drawing, and discussing – as you can see in the images below! 

Although this stage can be time-consuming, it is always pays off when the plants are put into the ground. 

The first step in the plantation process is walking the land to ensure deep, rich soil is selected for a high grade, native Australian Medicinal Honey Forest.

Gather By’s regenerative model relies on landholders volunteering their land to plant Leptospermum – a native Australian plant that makes Gather By’s honey so special. The images below illustrate the Gather By team exploring the land at Boolambyte – a lush, green town nestled amongst the Northern Rivers of NSW.

Our team loves this preliminary stage of planting, as are given the opportunity to discover new places and build friendships with like-minded individuals, who are also passionate about making a profit whilst restoring the environment – not destroying it.