New York City Rooftop Honey Recommended for Allergies

Man Puts Beehives on NYC Rooftops
By Evan Mantyk, Epoch Times (USA), 8/22/2007

NEW YORK—At the Union Square Greenmarket on any given Sunday, the fresh produce and various fresh food products almost all come from somewhere, usually a farm, outside of New York City limits—David Graves' New York City Rooftop Honey is a different story. As its name suggests, Graves' raw honey is made from beehives kept on 12 New York City rooftops, from the Bronx to the Upper East Side to Lower Manhattan to Brooklyn…

According to a study done last year by the French Beekeepers' Association, bees raised in cities are actually healthier and more productive than those raised in rural areas. Researchers believe the reason for the difference is because in cities there are fewer pesticides, higher temperatures and a wider variety of plants for pollination…

Taking bee pollen has been cited as a way to fight off allergies and hay fever, and some researchers believe eating local raw honey that contains bee pollen is a good way to fight off local allergens.

"People want local honey. That is initially why I put hives on rooftops, so that they can build up immunities to pollen allergies. If you take a tea spoon a day you can build up your immunity to pollen allergies," says Graves…