The country’s largest beekeeper deploys nearly 100,000 honey bee colonies to California almond orchards

Cannon Falls, Minn. – March 2, 2026 – Sweet Harvest Foods, the largest producer of raw, unfiltered honey and parent company of Nate’s Honey and Nate’s Hives, announces Nate’s Hives is the nation’s largest almond pollinator, deploying nearly 100,000 honey bee colonies to support the California almond bloom. This operational scale allows Nate’s Hives to provide critical pollination services while advancing large-scale research into honey bee health.

“Our scale as the nation’s largest beekeeper comes with a clear responsibility to advance honey bee health and high-quality honey while supporting the agricultural and environmental systems that rely on pollination,” said Michael Carle, Chief Executive Officer of Sweet Harvest Foods. “By pairing unmatched pollination capacity with science‑driven beekeeping, we strengthen hive protection, beekeeping management practices, the honey and almond industries, and the future of sustainable agriculture.”

Almond pollination remains one of the most critical periods in commercial beekeeping across the U.S. Beekeepers for Nate’s Hives placed honey bee colonies across central California to support the almond industry, which generates nearly $6 billion in annual revenue, underscoring the scale and significance of this annual effort.

Supporting the Nate’s Hives pollination initiative is Dr. Kelly Kulhanek, who was recently appointed as Senior Entomologist at Nate’s Hives. Dr. Kulhanek joined the Nate’s Hives leadership team with a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Maryland and more than a decade of experience in commercial beekeeping research. Her work on the Nate’s Hives pollination initiative focuses on translating cutting-edge science into actionable strategies to strengthen colony nutrition and genetics during the demanding pollination season.

“Pollinator science is foundational to the long‑term strength of our hives and the reliability of our pollination services,” said Matt Halbgewachs, President and Head Beekeeper of Nate’s Hives. “With Dr. Kulhanek’s leadership, we’re advancing science‑driven practices that keep our 6 billion bees healthy, protect the environment and ensure a resilient supply chain for Nate’s Honey.”

For more information about Nate’s Hives, its honey bees and its pollination services, visit https://nateshives.com.

About Sweet Harvest Foods
We believe in making life a little sweeter. As the leading producer of honey in the U.S., Sweet Harvest Foods provides the highest-quality ingredients for some of the most iconic brands and beloved products. That’s a serious responsibility, which is why we keep innovating and setting higher standards in quality, taste and reliability. Sweet Harvest Foods is bolstered by its ownership of Nate’s Honey, the number-one branded honey, and Nate’s Hives, the largest U.S. apiary. Join us on our mission to lead the honey industry by innovating from the hive to beyond the kitchen. For more information, visit www.sweetharvestfoods.com.

About Nate’s Hives
At Nate’s Hives, our mission is to provide the highest-quality, best-tasting raw honey to as many people as possible. As the largest beekeeper in the U.S., we cultivate more than 6 billion honey bees and 120,000 honey bee colonies with the utmost care through sustainable and responsible practices. Our honey bees thrive, and you can taste the result — raw, high-quality honey, made without any chemicals or added ingredients. That honey goes straight from our hives to your favorite grocery stores, restaurants and honey-sweetened products. For more information, visit https://nateshives.com.

###