4. Support local beekeepers,

4. Support local beekeepers, or become one yourself. Purchasing locally harvested honey enables beekeepers to compete against cheap, and less healthy, foreign honey. It does not need to be transported as most often you pick it up right at the farm, or from the farmer's market. There is nothing like the taste of honey freshly gathered just hours before it is spooned from a mason jar into your mouth. In Minnesota, check this list of farmers or if there are no local suppliers nearby, you can order honey here.

Honey, especially raw, organic honey, has been praised for thousands of years for its health benefits. Honey stimulates the immune system and if consumed from a local source, will be ideally suited to your individual needs. Honey is believed to improve allergy symptoms, soothe raw throats, help you sleep, boost your energy, relieve morning sickness and bladder infections, improve fertility, and is naturally antibiotic.

Ready to raise your own bees for food and pleasure? Check out a local beekeeping association. There is nothing like learning first hand from those who have already made the costly mistakes. Local resources for Minnesotans can be found through The Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers Association, a non-profit organization that exists to exchange ideas and experiences about beekeeping. Take advantage of Minnesota's "Naturally Grown's" worthy and free, handbook on natural beekeeping by downloading their pdf titled, "Handbook for Natural Beekeeping, 2nd Edition." It includes a list of allowed and prohibited substances for CNG beekeeping. You can also order a hard copy for a mere $6.