If you’re looking for local raw honey in Sarasota, My Sweetest Honey is a name to know. Whether you use honey to sweeten tea, cook, or support your immune system, quality matters — and so does where it comes from. That’s why Detwiler’s Farm Market proudly carries My Sweetest Honey, a family-run Florida business producing real, raw, and unfiltered honey from healthy hives right here in our area.
The Story Behind the Brand
Shaun Knepp began beekeeping at just 9 years old on his family’s farm. After his parents moved to Sarasota in 1987 and purchased 10 acres with an apiary, what started as a childhood chore grew into a lifelong passion. That same farm eventually became the home of My Sweetest Honey, a brand built on hands-on care and deep expertise.
As Shaun gained more knowledge and experience, the business evolved from a small backyard operation into a flourishing company, supplying high-quality raw honey throughout the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Today, the Knepp family continues to manage the business with a strong commitment to ethical practices, sustainability, and community support. 
What Makes Raw, Unfiltered Honey Special?
Unlike processed honey that’s heated and filtered to extend shelf life and change its texture, raw unfiltered honey is left in its natural state. This preserves trace amounts of bee pollen, propolis, and beeswax — all of which contain valuable health-promoting compounds like enzymes, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory agents.
This is why raw honey often appears cloudy or crystallized — a visual cue that it’s packed with nutrients. Filtering removes many of these beneficial properties, reducing honey to little more than a sweetener. When you choose My Sweetest Honey, you’re getting a nutrient-dense food that retains all the goodness nature intended.
The Role of Local Flowers and Their Benefits
My Sweetest Honey is produced from a variety of Florida wildflowers, each contributing its own flavor and wellness-supporting qualities. Wildflower honey is particularly well-known for supporting immune function, reducing inflammation, and offering natural antimicrobial properties. The variety of plants the bees visit can make each batch unique — and beneficial in different ways.
For instance, orange blossom honey is known for its subtle floral taste and calming properties. It’s often used to support digestive comfort, ease anxiety, and promote better sleep — making it a perfect addition to a soothing nighttime tea.
Another standout is saw palmetto honey, which is rich in antioxidants and traditionally used to support urinary tract health and prostate function. The diversity of Florida’s native flora gives this honey both its depth of flavor and its powerful health appeal.
The Power of Local Honey for Seasonal Allergies
One of the best-known benefits of local honey is its potential to reduce allergy symptoms. Because bees collect pollen from nearby plants, the trace amounts of local pollen in the honey may help desensitize the body to common allergens. This “natural immunotherapy” approach can be especially helpful during spring and fall when allergy triggers are at their peak in Florida.
Many customers tell us that incorporating local honey into their daily routine — especially if it’s from within 50 miles of their home — has helped ease seasonal allergy symptoms. It’s a promising natural approach that also happens to taste great.
How My Sweetest Honey Keeps Bees Healthy
Shaun and his team care for more than 3,000 active hives and harvest nearly 200 drums of honey each year, with each drum weighing approximately 675 pounds. But what makes this impressive scale so special is the way it’s managed — with deep respect for the bees and their environment.
They never over-harvest the hives. Honey is only collected from the upper boxes, allowing the bees to retain enough for their own nourishment and protection. By minimizing stress on the hives, the Knepps maintain vibrant colonies that thrive year after year.
Their practices also support broader environmental goals. By protecting bees from threats like pests, disease, and weather extremes, they contribute to Florida’s vital pollinator population — an essential part of the food system.
A Longstanding Partnership Rooted in Trust
Our partnership with My Sweetest Honey began in 2009, just a few weeks after we opened our Palmer Blvd. store. Shaun walked in and introduced himself to Henry Detwiler — who already knew his parents. The two talked for about 15 minutes, and within days, My Sweetest Honey was on the shelves.
More than a decade later, we still carry My Sweetest Honey at all six Detwiler’s Farm Market locations across Sarasota and Bradenton. It’s a partnership we’re proud of — built on quality, consistency, and a shared belief in doing things the right way.
Why Choosing Local Honey Matters
Buying local isn’t just a trend — it’s a meaningful way to support your health and your community. When you choose My Sweetest Honey, you’re getting:
-
A raw, unprocessed product full of natural enzymes and nutrients
-
A local food made from the very flowers blooming in your neighborhood
-
A sweetener with potential to ease allergies, support your immune system, and add flavor to your everyday meals
-
A product crafted with care by people who truly care about pollinators, sustainability, and environmental health
And one more bonus? Honey never goes bad. It might darken over time or crystalize slightly, but its flavor and health benefits remain unchanged. It’s one of the few foods on the planet with an indefinite shelf life — and that makes it even more special.
Where to Find It
You’ll find My Sweetest Honey at every Detwiler’s Farm Market location. Look for it in the grocery department — and if you haven’t tried it yet, we highly recommend picking up a jar next time you shop. You’ll taste the difference and support a hardworking local family in the process.
And if you’d like a behind-the-scenes look at how My Sweetest Honey is made, be sure to check out our recent YouTube video interview with Shaun Knepp. It’s a great way to learn more about the bees, the brand, and the people behind the process.