Kickstart my Heart: Micro-Batch Honey That Tastes Like Your Neighborhood

By RUTH BROWN

Kickstart my Heart is a semi-regular blog series on Portland Kickstarter projects we don't hate.

At least once a week someone in WW's arts and culture section sighs loudly and says, "Oh, Portland." That was me yesterday, stumbling across Bee Local, a Portland project that described itself as "micro-batch honey produced in urban neighborhood varieties." I still think it's the most Portland Kickstarter project that ever Portlanded. But I also think it's pretty neat:

Damian Magista is a beekeeper who keeps apiaries in different neighborhoods around Portland. He says the honey the bees make reflects the distinct flavor or terroir of that neighborhood. So you can get a Mt Tabor honey or a Laurelhurst honey. Soon, he says, there'll even be a Pearl honey. Magista is already selling his wares in a few Portland stores, but he's taken to Kickstarter to help expand his project across Portland and into Washington and California.


WW: Tell us about what you do.
How big are you looking to expand?
So what does each neighborhood taste like?
Do people prefer to buy honey from their own neighborhood?
Are backyard bees the new backyard goats?
The project currently has $1,957 of its $5,000 goal. You have 24 days to pledge some yourself
here
.

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.