OUR PHILOSOPHY
Vision ~ Background ~ The Honey ~ Social Responsibility ~ Environmental Responsibility
The vision of VOLCANO ISLAND HONEY COMPANY, LLC is to share A Taste of the Magic of Hawaii® by creating excellent products with integrity while providing employees the opportunity for continuous personal growth, in an environment of inspiration, creativity, responsibility and collaborative decision making. The positive energy generated in this environment will be infused in the products created by VIHC and therefore be available in a subtle seed form to those who purchase and use VIHC products.
VIHC is committed to:
implementing meticulous standards of quality and integrity throughout the business
discovering and employing procedures that are in harmony with nature
continuous improvement in its beekeeping and production techniques
continuous growth for those working at VIHC .
VIHC is a small family owned and operated honey business that has been producing this rare and unique honey, Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey, from a single kiawe forest on the Big Island of Hawaii for 27 years. The business was begun as a hobby by Richard Spiegel in1975. Until 1981 the honey was given away to family and friends.
National Geographic Traveler magazine calls VIHC a "food artisan" company ... that puts "passion" and "heart" into its products. In 1981 the first VIHC label was designed and small quantities of kiawe honey were bottled to be sold. In 1982 Dietrich Varez, a well known artist from Volcano, recognizing the quality of this honey, donated one of his original block prints to be used on the VIHC label. His print Poi Ulu now appears on all the labels and has become the VIHC logo.
VIHC is committed to producing the highest quality, most delectable honey available. National Geographic Traveler Magazine calls Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey "...some of the best honey in the entire world." Discovery Channel's national television show Epicurious called the honey "a miracle."
Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey is harvested from only one unique forest of Kiawe trees at sea level on the dry side of the Big Island. A combination of natural circumstances, desert trees with natural subterranean irrigation, in the Puako Kiawe forest creates this unique, world-class honey at an exceptional level of quality and purity. No other known grove of Kiawe trees has the same characteristics as the Puako grove.
Historically other beekeepers produced nearly a million pounds of honey from the Puako forest per year. But none realized the world class quality of the honey if meticulously and naturally handled with sensitivity to the bees and the environment - until VIHC.
VIHC is a good example of value-added, sustainable, diversified, organic agriculture and employs community members in the economically depressed area of Ahualoa in Hamakua district on the Big Island to produce our products. VIHC is committed to managing business activities with integrity while creating and implementing employment procedures that encourage continuous personal growth and open, honest communication.
Please see our Bee Green page for all of our environmental and social actions.
VIHC is committed to continuous improvement in its beekeeping techniques and uses nonviolent and non toxic methods to harvest honey and in all aspects of the production of its products. VIHC harvests only surplus honey stored by the bees leaving the bees enough honey for their needs. VIHC never feeds sugar to our bee colonies. VIHC uses no toxic materials at any point in the husbandry, harvest or production process.
Honeybees have the lowest negative environmental impact of any agricultural endeavor. Their footprint is small, less than an acre for 100 or more colonies, while their positive effect is large - pollination of flowers growing within 2-4 miles in every direction from the colonies.
Please see our Bee Green page for all of our environmental and social actions.