September is National Honey Month, and the National Honey Board is celebrating with the launch of our Honey Saves Hives educational program. Honey bee populations continue to face challenges and experience rates of decline, and protecting these pollinators is crucial to our ecosystem and food supply.

As part of the Honey Saves Hives program, the National Honey Board has partnered with a variety of food and beverage brands that are dedicated to protecting honey bees and educating consumers on the ways we can help the honey bee population, and thus, our broader ecosystem. Partners include:

• Justin's: This brand of nut butters is committed to using honey in its products, including its Honey Almond Butter, which uses a blend of eucalyptus, wildflower cashew, and coffee honeys.
• Mary's Gone Crackers: Mary's Gone Crackers is the largest organic and gluten-free cracker company in the United States. It recently released Mary's Gone Kookies, a line of graham-style cookie snacks all made with honey.
• Teakoe: This company offers a line of fizzy RTD teas, including a lemon honey variety.
• This Saves Lives: This snack brand produces a line of sweetened-with-honey food bars that include one serving of fruits and vegetables.
• Sprecher Brewery: Manufactures a line of craft sodas, including a world famous Root Beer, that are all sweetened with honey.
• Tillamook Country Smoker: Manufacturer of high-quality, protein-rich, hardwood-smoked 100% premium beef jerky, smoked sausages, and meat snacks since 1975.

For the next year, all of these brands will be actively sharing educational tips to help honey bees on their website and social media channels. Consumers are encouraged to participate by purchasing honey and made-with-honey products from these partners at retail stores nationwide and online to make a positive impact.