From a Hobby to Nate’s Hives
Nate’s honey started with one backyard beehive. After growing our honey business to become the #1 brand in the U.S., we expanded our beekeeping business with Sweet River Honey. Now we are entrusted with thousands of hives that allow us to bring 100% pure honey to your table directly from the source.
Meet Matt,
head beekeeper
Matt Halbgewachs is a passionate and responsible beekeeper. After founding and growing his own beekeeping business Sweet River Honey, he became recognized as one of the most trusted and best leaders in the beekeeping industry. We’re honored Matt and Sweet River Honey joined the Nate’s family and is now an integral part of Nate’s.
Based in Beeville, Texas (yep, it’s a real place), Matt’s number one job is caring for the honey bees, and his dedication to their care continues his family’s legacy of caring for honey bees and harvesting honey since the 1400s.
“Honey bees are our passion and producing honey in areas that are pristine, often untouched for years or generations by anything except nature, is our goal,” Matt said. “Nature Nate’s shares our passion for providing the best, purest honey possible.”
What does responsible beekeeping look like?
To ensure our bees are happy and healthy, Nate’s Hives are cared for throughout the country to keep the bees in comfortable climates all year long. The journey starts in January when Nate’s Hives do what they do best – pollination! The ideal Central Valley California climate and super nutritious almond pollen make for the perfect synergy between almond trees and growing, healthy honey bees. In the spring, the bees spend time relaxing, growing their colonies and making honey during the moderate temperatures of the Texas spring. As Texas heats up and so much of the honey bee forage dries up, the bees visit the pristine prairies of North Dakota and the upper Midwest. So much hard work and care are put into producing Nate’s honey; we take care of the honey bees, and as a sort of thanks, they give us the most delightful gift of pure honey.
Leadership in the Beekeeping Community
Matt founded Sweet River Honey in 2015, pouring his heart and soul into the care of his honey bees. After nearly a decade-long business relationship and friendship with Matt, Nate and the Nature Nate’s team welcomed Sweet River Honey into the Nate’s family with our parent company Sweet Harvest Foods Holdings in 2023. As Head Beekeeper for Nate’s Hives and as an Executive Board Member for the American Honey Producers Association, Matt helps more people discover the way bees intend honey to be – 100% pure, raw & unfiltered. As a responsible and dedicated beekeeper, Matt uses his knowledge, expertise and network to improve the future of beekeeping for all – one hive at a time.
From Hive to your table
“As a legacy beekeeper, I’m so proud to work with Nate’s Honey. We share the same hive-to-table philosophy and want to help more people discover how bees intend honey to be – 100% pure, raw & unfiltered.”
- Matt Halbgewachs
The Art of the
Nate’s Blend
Crafting the best-tasting honey is truly an art. So we source from Nate’s Hives and our broader community of trusted beekeepers to carefully blend honey varietals, each with their own color and flavor that can change from season to season. Our proprietary varietal formulas ensure each bottle of 100% pure honey has the consistent and award-winning flavor we’re known for.
Ultimately, we take great responsibility for providing the highest-quality, best-tasting honey. Where and how we source is paramount. Learn more about how we select and source your favorite honey.
Why so yumLong live the bees
As responsible beekeepers, we partner with leading universities including Cornell; the University of California, Davis; and University of Texas, Dallas, as an investment in bee health and pollinator research, shared resources and knowledge. Together, we can support healthy hives.
Supporting beekeeping communities
It’s in our nature to share. Since Nate’s Hives are carefully moved throughout the country to keep the bees in comfortable climates, we support these communities by donating product and funds to local families and organizations. Because that’s what good neighbors do.