I don't try to hide the fact that I am not a fan of much in Eastern Montana. I loathe Great Falls, hate the weather, and especially don't like the vast open, seemingly endless flat expanse of the plains. It's just not a place for me.
But credit where credit is due, there are things in this particular part of the country that I do have a fondness for: Charles M Russell and his impressionistic-style of Western painting, the tributaries of the Missouri river, just to name a few.
One thing that has a permanent place on the short-list is Smoot Honey.
Starting in 1964 as a true family-owned business, Smoot has been providing a pure product that, unfortunately, not a lot of their competition can say the same: 100% pure honey. And while most will say 'that goes without saying', they also provide a valuable service to farmers and ranchers of the area. So let's break all of this down into the brass-tack details.
Recently, a long list of honey companies has had a few skeletons in their closet come tumbling out. Some are cutting their product with high-fructose corn syrup, while others have been using filtration methods, to remove any traces of pollen (which hides where and how the honey was made- popular with the big-names who import from China, but want to claim their honey is all-clover/alfalfa/wildflowers/etc.). In all cases, the product and all of its benefits (yes, Virginia, Honey does have nutritional benefits) are stripped away. You might as well be using artificial honey.
There's an old saying that goes 'if it's not broken, don't fix it.' This applies well to Smoot. They have a pure product that they do not have to water down with a chemical substance, nor mix-in an inferior product. They have a natural, superior product, and there is no reason whatsoever to do anything to change that. This is not to say that adjustments to their business model haven't been made. They now have forklifts, trucks and the expected modern conveniences one would expect (they aren't Amish after all), but if the demand for honey increases, they increase the hive colonies.
This brings up the second reason to patronize this business: they indirectly benefit you.
As previously noted, it's a no-brainer that plants have a beneficial, symbiotic relationship with honeybees: they provide the nectar needed to make honey, and in turn the bees spread the pollen, helping the plants reproduce, which provides to you the food you eat, one way or another.
As previously noted, Smoot aren't Amish. They do utilize the tools at their disposal. In this case, you no longer have to live in Eastern Montana to obtain and enjoy their products. You can order everything they offer through their web site, which I highly encourage you to do.
In this day and age of huge corporations selling sub-par products, buying local benefits everyone: you support a local business, local economy, and get better products and services. And when you buy from Smoot, this is what you are doing, and what you get. In supporting them, they support you. read more