Beekeepers in Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey counties have two weeks to submit their entries for the TCBA’s Tenth Annual Mayland Black Jar Honey Contest. Members get their first entry free, while non-members must pay a $15 fee. The deadline for submitting your honey is December 3.

To enter the contest, download the application and fill it out. Then drop the application and two one-pound jars of honey off at the Yancey County Cooperative Extension office at 30 E U.S. Hwy 19E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714. Cash or a check made out to the Toe Cane Beekeepers Association must be included, preferably in a sealed envelope with your application.

To enter a second variety of honey, fill out a second entry form and submit it as above. Both members and non-members must pay $15 for the second entry.

To be eligible for the contest, the honey must be harvested in Mitchell, Avery, or Yancey counties in 2025. Only unadulterated honey is eligible. Jars should feature your normal labeling. Using glass queenline honey jars is strongly encouraged, but pint jars are also acceptable.

More information, including the PDF entry form, is available here.

Invite your Friends to be Judges

Judging will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on December 10 at Homeplace Beer Company in Burnsville and is open to the public. Please join us there and invite your friends and family to take part in the honey tasting. Not only is the contest fun, it is a great way to sample the broad variety of local honey produced in our three-county area. Anyone can sample the honey, but there is a $10 fee to vote for their favorite. The winner will be determined by popular vote and is based on taste alone.

If you take the time to enjoy a seasonal beer or other beverage, a wood-fired pizza, a sandwich, or salad that evening, you will help generate funds for our nonprofit association as Homeplace is donating ten percent of all purchases made from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to the TCBA.

In addition to the honey tasting, the evening will feature a silent auction of items donated by local businesses and supporters. This will include beekeeping equipment, a nucleus hive (for delivery in the spring), works by local artists and artisans, and an array of gift certificates.

“The Mayland Black Jar Honey tasting contest is always a lot of fun and a great way to close off the 2025 beekeeping season,” said Ann Concannon Coomber, TCBA president. “We hope to see you there.”

The Toe Cane Beekeepers Association is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit promoting sustainable beekeeping practices in Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey counties. The association supports the beekeeping community by encouraging cooperation among local beekeepers and through hands-on training, mentoring, guest speakers, and classroom lectures.