Skip to content

Champlain Valley Apiaries

Cart

Your cart is empty

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

our story & our values

Our mission, along with producing the highest quality honey, is to foster sustainable agriculture and promote the importance of honeybees in our food system.

we love bees ❤️🐝

Sourced from happy bees and crafted with love. Taste the difference real, raw honey makes.

SEE WHAT THE BUZZ IS ABOUT

4th Generation Beekeepers

Vermont's oldest honey producer. Beekeeping since 1931.

DISCOVER OUR STICKY SWEET LEGACY

Raw Honey

Our honey is offered in raw naturally crystallized form. Shop in our online store for any of our honey products.

BUY RAW HONEY

Before/after

Before

After

Use the left and right arrow keys to navigate between before and after photos.

Our founder

Charles Mraz

Our founder Charles Mraz started keeping bees at the age of 14 in his hometown of Woodside, Queens in New York City. After a lifetime devoted to honeybees and beekeeping, Charles was recognized as one of the five most influential beekeepers in the US by the American Beekeeping Federation. 

2nd Generation

Bill Mraz

In 1976, Bill Mraz began working more closely with his father to take over the family business. In Bill’s time at Champlain Valley Apiaries he battled various pressures on the bees like tracheal mites and foul brood. It was in Bill’s era that bee losses jumped from typical (5–10%) to dire (30–40%). Despite these difficulties, he managed to make innovative strides with the business. Having a background as a mechanical engineer meant Bill made monumental improvements to different industry prototypes for harvesting honey, beeswax, and bee venom.

3rd Generation

Chas Mraz

In 2004, Bill's son, Chas Mraz returned to Vermont, after a career in construction management in NYC, help run the family business.

Chas focused on bringing the age-old honey business into the 21st century. He launched a website with online shopping, built a social media presence, reinvigorated the catalog, opened a walk-in Honey Shop increasing sales and forging brand partnerships.

4th Generation

Curtis Mraz

In 2022 Curtis Mraz, Chas's nephew and the great-grandson of Charles, moved to Vermont to usher Champlain Valley Apiaries in to its 4th generation. An experienced beekeeper and regenerative farmer, Curtis understands the importance of training the next generation of beekeepers. Curtis formerly owned and operated Smoke & Honey Co. — a beekeeping and farm management business in the Hudson Valley. He is a member of the National Young Farmer’s Coalition and active in organizing beekeeping education opportunities. Curtis has goals to reignite the sales strategy and product development for Champlain Valley Apiaries, employ sustainable beekeeping practices, and get colony-losses under control.

Bee Inspired by

the HoneyCraft Kitchen

Discover delicious recipes crafted with Vermont honey from Champlain Valley Apiaries.

Liquid Honey vs. Raw Honey: Which Should You Choose?

Liquid Honey vs. Raw Honey: Which Should You Choose?

Elevated Honey Guacamole

Elevated Honey Guacamole

The Gold Rush Honey Cocktail

The Gold Rush Honey Cocktail

BRANDS THAT USE

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY APIARIES

Follow us on instagram

Peek inside our hive! See our latest beekeeping adventures on Instagram.