Vanilla Honey Spread is a delicious addition to Clif Family's Solar Grown Honey product line for the fall and holiday season.
Clif Family's Solar Grown Honey products are made with honey gathered from hives placed on solar farms planted with pollinator-friendly habitat. Planting pollinator-friendly habitat under solar panels helps control storm water, improves the soil and provides diverse food sources and nesting habitat for surrounding wildlife. Solar Grown products multiply the benefits of clean energy, a win-win for the planet and our taste buds.
Clif Family's Vanilla Solar Grown Honey Spread is the newest addition to their line of Solar Grown Honey products. Made with Nyanza Vanilla that is grown in the hills around Lake Victoria in Tanzania, the altitude, temperate climate and rich soil result in an exceptionally rich and sweet vanilla. Clif Family partners with New York based Burlap & Barrel to source the spices used in their Solar Grown Honey product line.
Our new Vanilla Honey Spread is the perfect addition to a peanut butter sandwich, added to a cheese plate to pair with a semi-firm cheese or stirred into a cup of hot tea.
John McConnell, Clif Family Winery & Farm Executive Chef
Populations of pollinators and other beneficial insects are in widespread decline and a leading cause is habitat loss. Science-based state standards establish what constitutes “pollinator-friendly” for ground cover on the working landscape of a solar farm—typically a diverse mix of low-growing flowering plants instead of bare ground or turf-type grasses. The Solar Grown trademark indicates that a product was produced on or adjacent to a solar farm that meets pollinator-friendly solar vegetation standards. The hope is that these pollinator-friendly, pesticide-free habitats will create a positive difference in the long-run for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while providing the benefits of delicious, sustainable products.
Solar Grown Products Multiply the Benefits of Clean Energy Development
Forward-thinking farmers have been quick to notice the rapid increase in demand for energy generated by arrays of solar panels. Scientists predict farmers and other landowners will lease more than 2 million acres of land for solar projects by 2030—an increase from around 350,000 acres today. With support from the Solar Energy Technologies Office of the U.S. Department of Energy, scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory are conducting research into “low-impact” solar development designs that provide dual-uses and co-benefits to agriculture and ecosystems. The NREL study, named InSPIRE, is also showing how low-impact solar designs can reduce costs and increase operating efficiency because of reduced mowing and creation of a cooler micro-climate under the panels. More than a dozen states have adopted land use standards to encourage pollinator-friendly ground cover under and around the panels on solar facilities. Some practitioners refer to the dual agricultural and energy functions of these project as “agrivoltaics.”
Pollinator Friendly Solar Farm
In addition to their new Vanilla Honey Spread, Clif Family makes Ginger, Cinnamon and Cacao Honey Spreads, Cobanero Chili Hot Honey and a Raw Honey. The Clif Family Solar Grown Honey Spreads are gently spun together to encourage natural honey crystals to form and create a smooth and creamy appearance. Clif Family sources spices from Burlap and Barrel, a purveyor of unique and equitable sourced spices, to develop these flavors. The Clif Family Solar Grown Honey products are available in 5.5 oz. jars for a suggested retail price of $10.00. They can be found in select retailers across the United States, at Clif Family's Napa Valley Tasting Room and online at www.cliffamily.com.
You can read more about the new Vanilla Honey Spread on Clif Family's blog and find recipes created by Executive Chef John McConnell highlighting this ingredient.
At Clif Family, we are guided by our values to sustain our planet, our community and our people. We strive to support a healthier, more sustainable world through the enjoyment of wine, food and connection. We organically farm the grapes, olives, fruit and vegetables that go into our wine and food products and we work with our suppliers to source organic ingredients. Every Clif Family product is made with the highest quality and care while having the lowest impact and cost to our planet.
