HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State Health is typically recognized for its excellence in medical care, but it recently won an award for something a little sweeter — its honey.
Hershey Medical Center took sixth place in the honey competition color category at the 2018 Pennsylvania Farm Show. Penn State Health has four beehives on the west end of the Medical Center campus near the Hershey Community Garden. They were installed in 2016 when the garden was created and are one aspect of the institution’s larger commitment to environmental sustainability.
This is the second year in a row that Penn State employees Scott Stanley and Dr. Andrew Freiberg of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology have entered their honey in the Farm Show’s annual apiary contest. An apiary is the location of a group of beehives. The honey was judged on its moisture content, flavor and appearance for market.
For millennia, there has been evidence that honey may help with medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, cough, wound care, gastrointestinal disease and neurological disease. Learn more here.