Bob Brachmann is a long-time treatment-free beekeeper and bee breeder who lives and maintains his bees in rural western New York State near the Pennsylvania and Ohio borders. For many years, he has been a part of the USDA Russian Bee Breeders Association, working to develop and maintain honeybee genetics that can resist varroa mites without chemical treatments.

Bob and Kirk Webster have been friends and cohorts for decades. When Kirk introduced us to Bob we were so excited to meet another openhearted, generous beekeeper with the integrity, vision, and beekeeping practices that we value.

His pale-yellow honey, predominantly from asters and goldenrod, has a velvety buttery taste and texture with a perfumy floral finish and is known as the “candycorn” honey. Some batches of Bob’s honey are darker from the addition of knotweed nectar. This honey tastes like “candycorn” with a twist, and is known as the “complex New York”. A favorite straight out of the jar, in sauces and marinades, this honey is incredible in a mug of hot milk with fresh grated nutmeg! Try it as the sweetener in a homemade basil-peach pie (!!!).