Beekeeping takes center stage at farmers market

Janice Friend, president of the Mountain City Beekeepers Association and a mentor to the FFA students in the honeybee program at Johnson County High School, will bring her observation beehive to show us how those busy bees work together to support their queen and help pollinate crops.

Janice tells us, “I started beekeeping 10 years ago. I didn't realize it then, but honeybees are facing many challenges, some natural and others man-made. Beekeepers lose approximately 1/3 -1/2 of their colonies over winter every year. Because honeybees are extremely important for our food production, we need to support them as much as possible. Pollination services is a 20-billion-dollar business in America. They are the third most important animal in agriculture. Beekeeping is one of the ways we can protect and support them. When I received my first hives and started this journey, I fell in love. My passion is to educate people on the importance of the humble honeybee. I mentor new and experienced beekeepers to take an observation hive to schools and the Farmer's market. I encourage beekeepers to keep up with education through conferences, reading current studies, and being involved in the bee community. For more information, contact mountaincitybeekeepers.com or mountaincitybeekeepers@gmail.com.”

Our featured vendor this week is A Bushel and A Peck Farm. Christy Junge says, “A Bushel and A Peck Farm is a small family-run farm in Butler, TN. Our farm journey began in 2014 when we purchased our farm with the goal of being able to provide our family with the freshest, healthiest, chemical-free food possible. We quickly realized we loved farming and decided to branch out to selling our produce in the community as well. We are a Certified Naturally Grown Farm offering a large variety of fresh produce as well as honey and eggs.”

Join us on Saturday at the Johnson County Farmers Market at Ralph Stout Park from 9 a.m. to noon to celebrate our farmers, meet friends, listen to great music from Jenny and the Playwrites in the musician’s tent, shop great artisan crafts, and enjoy a delicious treat from our bakers.