This week, I wrote about a bill that would loosen regulations on Illinois beekeepers.

The state’s beekeepers are buzzing to gain some independence.

A new bill would ensure that small honey producers are able to sell their products at farmers markets, fairs or roadside stands without government regulation. The measure, supporters say, would allow beekeepers to build local networks with consumers, and help grow and maintain the state’s honeybee population.

SB 2959, sponsored by Sen. David Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), recognizes raw, unadulterated honey as an agricultural commodity, thus exempting it from the rules and regulations for processed food defined by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Read the full article here.