F2S Supplier Spotlight: Honeybear

In honor of National Farm-to-School Month, we're highlighting a few regional growers that supply produce to CKC Good Food. We hope you enjoy reading about these local, family-owned businesses.

October 11, 2022

Honeybear Brands started in the 1970s in Elgin, Minnesota, when founder Robert “Doc” Wescott planted a small orchard for fun and farmed it with his 13 children (taking advantage of "free" labor!). Today, Honeybear is still headquartered on that same plot of land. Doc’s son, Fred, who joined the family business right out of college in the 70s, is now president of the company.

Honeybear Brands has grown into one of the leading developers, growers and suppliers of premium apple varieties across North America. Its growing operations span four U.S. states, Canada and Chile, allowing Honeybear to work year round to supply apples to customers across North America.

One of Honeybear's growing orchards is Wescott Orchards, the original orchard started by Doc Wescott four decades ago. Its location in Elgin provides an amazing micro-climate and some of the most fertile soils anywhere in Mississippi River Valley. This allows Wescott to grow much-sought-after regional and national apple varieties, including Pazazz, First Kiss, Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji and Mcintosh.

Wescott Orchards’ mission is the same as it was in the 70s: to grow, pack and ship the finest apples and do it all with the utmost honesty and integrity.

Wescott Orchards and Honeybear provide great-tasting apples to CKC Good Food and the students we serve throughout the year. On Thursday, October 13, CKC schools will take part in the Great Apple Crunch with Mcintosh Apples from Wescott Orchards. We're proud to support a growing Minnesota business.