Honey is used in toast, tea, lipstick and even dog food. The Ohio State Annual Honey Sale prefers to keep its offerings more pure, however, and you won’t find any of those products there.

The sale has been going on for 20 years. It started when OSU beekeepers decided to sell their extracted honey to cover operating costs.

The beekeepers extract the honey from the combs, but they do not process it into the products, such as the beeswax candles or honey-infused candies, on sale at the event.

Sherran Ferrell, coordinator of the event, passes the honey on to a friend whose partner makes soaps. It is what Ferrell calls a “cottage industry.”
This year the sale will take place Dec. 2 at the 4-H Center and Dec. 16 at the Ramada Hotel and Plaza.

People from the OSU Wooster branch, which is home to the bees, collaborate with people from Columbus to organize the event. The Wooster Tri-County Beekeepers’ Association and the Central Ohio Beekeepers Association help on the day of the sale.

Honey is the hot item at the sale and a variety of flavors can be purchased, such as orange blossom and clover. These flavors are the result of different nectar sources, Ferrell said.

When the hives are placed close to a certain crop, like clover, they are “plant-specific” Ferrell said, which means that the bees will gather nectar from only that plant. As a result, the honey will take on the characteristics of that crop’s nectar.

People eat 1.1 pounds of honey each year, most of which is consumed through cereals, Ferrell said.

But with this event, people can find new and delicious ways to indulge their appetites for sweets.

The highlight of the event will be the new products on display, such as pollen drops, a taffy-like candy made from pollen and honey, Ferrell said.
All the flavored honey will be available at a tasting table.

Customers will also have the opportunity to learn about the many ways honey is used in household products, Ferrell said.

Students wanting more information on the sale can visit the event’s Web site at honeybeelabs.com. The sale will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 16.