Honey lovers from across three counties and beyond gathered on Dec. 11 at Homeplace Beer Co. to select the best tasting honey from Mitchell, Avery and Yancey Counties at the Mayland Black Jar Honey Contest.

The contest, sponsored by Toe Cane Beekeepers Association (TCBA), is designed to choose the best honey by taste alone as all jars are wrapped in black bags hiding the content and labels.  Judges cast their vote for the honey they most admire.

There were tie votes for the first, second and third place winners, which indicates that the honey submitted was very competitive, and it was very difficult to select the very best.  

First place was awarded by popular vote to Jim and Ann Coomber of Happy Apple Bees, (Entry M) and Edward Geouge of Blue Rock Apiary, (Entry C)

Second place awards were presented to Peggy Watson of White Fawn Apiary, (Entry K) and Yancey Jones of Hawk Branch Honey, (Entry S).

Third place was a four-way tie between: Kimberly Gunter of Mountain River Apiary, (Entry B), Susan Spruill of Chestnut Mountain Farm, (Entry E), Austin Hall of Hall’s Hives, (Entry F) and Camille Collins of Elemental Hills Apiary, (Entry Q).

More than 75 judges cast their votes and bid on the raffle prizes donated by many local merchants. A special “Survivors” table was set up to commemorate the beekeepers who lost their bee hives and their homes, yet recovered enough honey to enter the contest. Two of those “survivors” – Kim Gunter and Camille Collins – also  were award winners.

Sadly, two of the club’s members, Knox Petrucci and Aly Wisley and her two young sons, Felix and Lucas, lost their lives as well as their hives in the storm.  Several jars of their honey that was found in their ruined home also were auctioned.

Money raised will be used by TCBA to aid local beekeepers in replacing their bees. It is estimated that more than 50 hives of bees were lost and many thousands of dollars in damages sustained by beekeepers in the three-county area.

Beekeepers entered in the contest and the letters associated with their entries are as follows:

Ben and Brittany Guffey of B+B Honey, (Entry A), Kimberly Gunter of Mountain River Apiary, (Entry B), Ed Geouge, Blue Rock Apiary, (Entry C), John Pearson, Pink Boot Farm, (Entry D), Susan Spruill, Chestnut Mountain Farm, (Entry E), Austin Hall, Hall’s Hive, second entry of early Summer, (Entry F), Deborah Griffith, Whippoorwill Hill Apiary, (Entry G), Ted and Evelyn Baker, (Entry H), Tammy Harty, Harty Hives, (Entry I), Austin Hall, Hall’s Hive, midsummer honey, (Entry J), Peggy Watson, White Fawn Apiary, (Entry K), Dalila Williams, Dolly Pop, (Entry L), Jim and Ann Coomber, Happy Apple Apiary, (Entry M); Robert Storch, Bunny and the Bee Farm, (Entry N); Knox Petucci and Aly Wisely, Hearts Relief Apiary, (Entry O), David Reeder, Hawk Mountain Homestead, (Entry P); Camille Collins, Elemental Hills, (Entry Q); Jennifer and Brian Brumbaugh, Buttercup Fields Apiary, (Entry R); Yancey Jones, Hawk Branch Honey, (Entry S); Camila Prada, Mountain Miel, (Entry T); Michelle Mejia, Moral Bees, (Entry U).

Pictured above, left to right, honey contest winners: Camille Collins, Suzanne Garland (representing Kim Gunter), Susan Spruill, Peggy Watson, Yancey Jones, Ed Geouge, Ann Coomber, and Jim Coomber.