July is honey harvesting time in middle Tennessee. And members of the Nashville Area Beekeepers Association (NABA) are hard at work…and play. And no one more so than Gene Armstrong, President of NABA. Every July, Gene and his wife host a honey harvesting party at his beautiful home in Oak Hill overlooking the hills of Tennesee. The bees even have a great view.
Last year was Edible’s year of the honey bee, where we covered backyard beekeepers in the July/August issue and other things honey. So after researching and visiting numerous beekeepers, I was thrilled to join Gene and team for their honey harvest party. It’s a hot, sweaty job, no doubt, but one filled with new friends and lots of sweet honey as a reward. As the process is best viewed through photos, here are the steps to harvesting honey.
Look for local honey at farmers markets across the state.