The Best Beekeeper Is a Local Beekeeper

Honey found its way from the teacup to the plate decades ago, and for good reason. It’s earthy, pourable, sweet, thick, rich and of the place. It’s one of our favorite ingredients.

The best honey comes from a local beekeeper, and fortunately, lots of beekeepers are buzzing around Middle Tennessee. In fact, we bumped smack into beekeeper Ryan McDonald of D’vash Bee Co., as we were setting up our Spring Farm Dinner in Leipers Fork. He was installing a hive in a nearby field, where his bees gather nectar from clover and trees like tulip poplar, honey locust, blackberry, basswood and sourwood. Named for the Hebrew word for honey, D’vash started with Ryan’s efforts to help homeowners establish their own hives when he was still living in Iowa. When he moved to Nashville five years ago, he hung up his beekeeping suit. But soon a friend asked for a consult, and Ryan jumped back into the bee business. Now Ryan oversees approximately 100 hives in five properties around the Natchez Trace.

Ryan eats his honey on peanut butter sandwiches, on toast, and in tea and chai. He generously gave us a frame of honeycomb to take home, and we’ve been flipping through our file for honey-kissed recipes ever since.