2022 Edition: Top 3 Finalists for Best of Bigfork
Thank you for voting Bee's Knees ‘n’ Knits as Top Finalists for 2022 Best of Bigfork! As members of the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce, we were invited to attend the 2022 Best of Bigfork party, only upon our arrival did we read the newspapers and realize that our business was voted into 3rd place in two categories: The Arts “Best Artisan/Maker” and “Best Local Artist”. How incredible!
We began Bee’s Knees ‘n’ Knits back in 2018 in effort to advocate for the farmers, apiaries, and mills in Montana through our Made in Montana certified products and educational resources that emphasize the use of local ingredients and materials; a means of giving back to those who help benefit our ecosystem and local economy, as mentioned in our article featured in the Bigfork Eagle, Daily Interlake, and Yahoo News. Recently, we have become members of the Bigfork Area Chamber of Commerce and directors of the Village Markets; Kassie has also become a board member and social media manager for the Bigfork Farmers Market Cooperative.
Bee’s Knees ‘n’ Knits is a local small business owned by Kassie Dawn and Kyle Dean, born and raised in Bigfork, Montana. Together we embrace the sustainable lifestyle of slow fashion, herbal remedies, and nearly forgotten trades by offering handcrafted gifts and goods from our homestead. Our Made in Montana certified products are mindfully curated in small batches using wool, blooms, beeswax, and bit inbetween with an emphasis on local ingredients and materials.
One of our biggest values is to shop, share, and support local -- not only as a business, but in our daily lives too. We choose to honor the Treasure State by nourishing the integrity of the land, animals, and people of Montana from which we were raised. For example: much of our products, such as our collection of herbal remedies and woolen goods, are directly impacted by seasonality of the ingredients and materials, which is why they are curated in small batches with limited availability/stock. We honor the harvest and shearing seasons of the plants and animals that we source from in order to encourage the success of future generations. By localizing our supply chain, we help build consumer confidence and awareness (follow the “Local Resources” tab to learn more).
Why? We believe it's important to lead the way for sustainability by contributing to a circular economy, as well as fund local organizations that reflect our values to make a broader impact. A circular economy is based on the idea of regeneration, reducing waste and pollution, and keeping value in products that are made to last or be repaired/reused. Montana's rich agricultural background allows us to gain access to these resources and put them to good use, the way they are intended. Much of what we practice is preached by teaching others the homesteading trades and crafts as well as their importance. When supporting our business, you are also supporting those before us.