Castlemaine fifth generation beekeepers Peter and Michelle McDonald could be forgiven for feeling just a little famous whenever they go shopping.
That’s because their faces are now featured statewide on literally hundreds of jars of Capilano honey as part of the new Proudly Local campaign celebrating Aussie beekeepers.
The Capilano Proudly Local range introduces a state-by-state product that features a local beekeeping family, shares a little of their beekeeping story, and promises the honey in each pack is produced solely from beekeepers in that region.
The McDonalds are the first of the Victorian beekeepers to feature with similar labels produced for each of Queensland, NSW-ACT, South Australia and Western Australia.
The campaign aims to help keep the nation’s beekeeping industry strong while calling on consumers to buy local and educate themselves about how their food reaches the table.
Aussie beekeepers are fighting back after a challenging year marked by bushfires, honey shortages and Covid-related border closures.
“We need a new generation of beekeepers to take up this profession to see it thrive into the future,” Peter McDonald said.
“Beekeeping is not just about producing honey. There is a much broader agricultural role as well.
“We pollinate out at Harcourt and do three separate orchards.
“Australia really needs its bees and its beekeepers and the main thing is to support them.”
Peter and Michelle admit they’re finding the experience of featuring on the first of the Victorian Proudly Local labels to be quite a sweet experience.
“It’s exciting especially for Victoria,” Michelle told the Mail this week. Read more in today’s Mail…