An Island Wide Bee Keeping Operation Dedicated to Pollinating Local Flavors
Falinski has taken on apprentices to learn about bee pollination on O‘ahu. While bee keeping can be a hot and sticky endeavor, working with bees can be one of the most rewarding experiences. Not only do you get to collect some rich warm honey, but taking apart the hive means that you also get to see a beehive in action. Whether it’s by watching a queen pump out 25,000 eggs a day, or watching worker bees build hexagonal cubicles to store honey and pupa, there is an endless interest to be had in these tiny, winged creatures.
At Nalo Meli, their bees are kept not only to produce honey but also as important pollination tools in O‘ahu’s eco-system. According to the FDA, approximately 250,000 different species of flowering plants require bees for pollination so their impact on the environment cannot be understated.
With the onset of the pandemic, COVID-19 hit the business hard. “I lost all my customers overnight.” Having to find new customers, Falinski “had to figure out how to brand to the local people. Since then, Nalo Meli Honey has continued to foster its involvement with the community, becoming an ingredient in various other local products on top of its farm partnerships and famers market appearances. “I’m a farmers market girl, I’m at twelve markets a month. I’m at KCC and Kaka‘ako and Kailua markets every weekend,” added Falinski.
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