The dedication of Australia's 'forgotten farmers' is at the base of a campaign by Capilano's new Proudly Local honey range, which aims to connect consumers with beekeepers in their state.
Years of drought, followed by bushfires, killed millions of bees around the nation, decimated food sources and resulted in honey shortages.
That was compounded this year by the need to negotiate border closures in the search for flowering trees.
Wheatvale beekeepers David and Rosie Stevens and sons Jacob and Connor are among those who have been weathering the climate challenges, taking their hives as far south as Dubbo this year.
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They are the Queensland producers featured on the Proudly Local label and Jacob Stevens said they were fully supportive of the campaign to share a greater understanding of their work with shoppers.
"It will be a good way to engage with people and dispel some of the misinformation about where honey is coming from," he said. "The message is that if the jar says it's 100 per cent Australian, they can be confident that it is."
Victorian beekeeper Peter McDonald, who previously headed the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council and who features on the Victoria pack, said he hoped Proudly Local would help inspire others into the industry.
"We need a new generation of beekeepers to take up this profession to see it thrive into the future," he said. "Beekeeping is not just about producing honey, there is a much broader agricultural role as well. Australia really needs its bees and its beekeepers."
Hive + Wellness, owners of the Capilano brand, will periodically rotate the beekeepers featured on the Proudly Local packs to introduce consumers to more Aussie beekeeping families.