Meet
the beekeeper...
Kerry Owen ~ Commercial Beekeeper
As a child growing up in a small rural community in Balsam Grove North Carolina,I remember the aroma and taste of the honey I blended in peanut butter. I enjoyed this treat very much but had no idea I was eating the best honey in the United States. This outstanding honey comes from a Sourwood tree that grows in the mountains of the Appalachian Mountains. Old timers used this tree as sled runners because of the bending stature. I also remember every family had a few “bee gums” ,as they called them, to supply the family with honey. I didn’t venture too close to the hive for I knew this could result in a sting. I also did not realize this interesting little insect I feared as a child would eventually become one of my fascinations and become a means of financial freedom.
I began beekeeping after a friend gave me a hive for my 32nd birthday and today I operate 400 plus colonies and migrate through the Southeast producing honey. I have met many friends in my ten years of beekeeping that have nurtured and encouraged me through this extreme sport. I do refer to this hobby as a sport because of the amount of planning involved in moving from beeyard to beeyard. Each beekeeper has a unique method of beekeeping and is constantly experimenting to find better ways of beekeeping and also ways to keep expenses down to a minimum. The bulk of my business is honey sales so most of my efforts are focused in that area it also is the area I most enjoy. I really enjoy watching the bees work to make their honey. I do very little pollination because I refuse to take my bees to crops using chemicals, however I do pollinate for organic farms.
When I first started my business I could not survive on just honey, so I expanded into other areas such beekeeping supplies and organic foods. Bee Well Honey can be found in many stores across the Southeast and is demanded by Health Food stores because of our strict policy on chemicals. The beekeeping industry is like any other farm oriented type business and is constantly being threatened by pesticides and diseases. I believe in organic farming and organic product and constantly promote this lifestyle at our Natural Market. I encourage consumers to buy honey produced in the United States. Honey that has been imported in from other countries does not undergo product testing and cannot guarantee a safe product. I only sell honey produced in the United States because of its quality and because I know the beekeeper personally.
Bee Well,
Bee Well Honey Natural Market & Bee Supply Inc. 205 Hampton Ave. Pickens, South Carolina 29671