Jim Powers, Whendi's father-in-law, stubborn, proud, cantankerous, and one of the largest producers of honey in the United States, decided the Island of Hawai'i was perfect for making honey and starting his eighth and last honey operation.

He was right. The island was immense — almost 4,000 square miles in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with only 65,000 inhabitants, it was pristine. Flowers everywhere, blooming year-round.

Jim's step-son and Whendi's husband, Garnett Puett, took over the Hawaiian operation in 1987 and became the fourth generation of his family to make beekeeping his livelihood. The experience gleaned from prior generations emphasized the important relationship between the environment and the bees’ well being. While maintaining our artisanal standards, the business and hives continued to flourish and grow, resulting in hundreds-of-thousands of pounds of uniquely Hawaiian honey — which was being exported to honey packers on the continent.

Beginning in 2004, Whendi started selling our honey at local farmers markets under our own label: Big Island Bees. She simply hand poured honey into glass jars.

Each honey variety so different from one another, attributable to the type of flower from which each honey is made. This intense flavor profile is what makes their honey so unique.