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Hello there, neighbors! Susan Stewart here from Local Nashville Honey.
If there’s one thing Mike and I have learned through our podcast and our time in the Tennessee bee community, it’s that folks truly care about where their food comes from. We get asked all the time: “Susan, how can I be 100% sure this honey actually came from a Nashville hive and not some big factory packing plant?”
It’s a fair question! When you’re looking for the medicinal benefits of local pollen or just that incredible, deep flavor of Middle Tennessee wildflowers, you want the real deal. Today, I want to talk specifically about one of our absolute favorite local sources: Johnson’s Farm in Goodlettsville, TN.
Here is how you can be certain that the honey in your jar is the “liquid gold” produced right here in our backyard.
1. Know the Source: The Goodlettsville Connection
Johnson’s Farm isn’t just a name on a label; it’s a staple of the Goodlettsville community. Located just a short drive north of Nashville, the bees at Johnson’s Farm forage on the lush, rolling hills of Sumner and Davidson counties.
When you buy honey labeled from Johnson’s Farm, you are getting honey that is:
Never Ultra-Filtered: We keep the good stuff (the pollen!) right where it belongs.
Seasonally Specific: Real local honey changes color. If you see a lighter amber in the spring and a darker, robust hue in the fall, that’s the sign of a real Nashville beekeeper following the natural bloom cycles of Tennessee.
2. Check the Label (and the Logic)
A true local beekeeper like the folks at Johnson’s Farm won’t have “clover honey” that looks identical 365 days a year. Because our Tennessee weather is as unpredictable as a Nashville songwriter’s Muse, the honey reflects that!
At Local Nashville Honey, we only vouch for keepers who are transparent. Johnson’s Farm honey is harvested and bottled with care, ensuring that the floral source—whether it’s tulip poplar, black locust, or wildflower—is authentic to our specific Tennessee climate zone.
3. The “Hyper-Local” Taste Test
If you’ve lived in Middle Tennessee long enough, you know what our land tastes like. Real Nashville honey has a distinct profile. It isn’t just “sweet”—it has notes of the woods and fields we walk every day.
The Johnson’s Farm Difference: Their hives are managed by people who understand the Goodlettsville ecosystem. When you taste their honey, you’re tasting the very clover and wildflowers that grow in your own neck of the woods.
4. Why “Local” Matters for Your Allergies
Many of you reach out to us because you’re looking for allergy relief. For that to work, the honey must contain the local pollens you’re breathing in. By sourcing directly from Johnson’s Farm, you are ensuring that the bees were working the exact environment that’s making you sneeze! You won’t get that from a bear-shaped bottle at a big-box chain.
Support Local, Stay Sweet
Supporting beekeepers like those at Johnson’s Farm means you’re keeping the Nashville bee population healthy and our local economy buzzing.
Next time you’re looking to sweeten your tea or morning biscuit, look for the Johnson’s Farm label. Mike and I have seen the work that goes into every jar, and we can tell you—it’s as Nashville as it gets.
Stay sweet, Nashville!
— Susan Stewart LocalNashvilleHoney.com
