Sweet taste of Success
Clifton High School student beekeepers take honey to market, and it sells out
By: Matt Fagan
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
CLIFTON - The city high school's beekeepers have learned firsthand how sweet sustainable retail sales can be.
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The 27-member Clifton High School Beekeepers Club launched its won brand of honey on July 30 [2025] when members stocked the first locally harvested batch at Agamie's Delicatessen, at 62 Market Street.
..... The honey quickly sold out.
..... So far, the club has harvested 31 pounds of honey form the hives on the high school grounds. It is the first of two harvests for the club's apiaries. A second harvesting is scheduled for October 21. [2025]
..... The high school's public information officer, Samantha DeRose, said the club's sales effort was assisted by a workforce development grant from the Clifton Education Foundation.
..... This initiative highlights the intersection of sustainability and workforce development, offering students hands-on experience in agriculture, entrepreneurship and environmental stewardship, DeRose said.
..... the students found an ally in deli owners C.J. Loguori and his wife, Malinada, whom after learning about the initiative, asked to sell the honey in their store. One hundred percent of the sales go toward the beekeeping club.
..... The club members will also sell lip balm processed from the bees' hives at the Lunar E-clips salon on Market street and at the Bluejay Pharmacy on Valley Road. The product should be on the shelves soon. The nine flavors of lip balm will be sold for $3 each or $5 for two.
..... Both businesses that will carry the lip balm are donors to the Clifton Education Foundation.
..... The club was established last year [2024] after a discussion between teacher Katie Driscoll and security guard and football coach Terrance Brown, who share an interest in beekeeping and honey harvesting.
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There are 27 members in the beekeeping cub, along with advisers Brown and Lisa Poggi.
..... Last year, [2024] the club harvested 23 pound of honey. This year [2025] it harvested 31 pounds. All of this summer's honey sold out at Agamie's Deli in less than a week.