Protecting a declining honeybee population has become a movement in Central Appalachia. An initiative to reclaim land surrounding abandoned coal mines, restore native plants and protect honeybees as vital pollinators has turned into a thriving jobs program in West Virginia. In just over three years enough people have been recruited and trained as beekeepers in Appalachia to achieve sweet rewards. With over 850 productive hives and abundant annual harvests, a collection of beekeepers are widening their market with the launch of a new website, ABCHoney.org, to sell natural honey while also helping restore both communities and the environment.
“When you shop with us, you support beekeepers, bees and environmental programs to restore ecosystems in West Virginia,” said Terri J. Giles. Giles, a Hinton native and former Senate aide, is the foundation director of the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC), a project of the non-profit Appalachian Headwaters.
“We have successfully recruited and trained enough dedicated beekeepers in our region that we are now producing enough to sell natural honey free of pesticides and pollution. Each hive we support can generate 40-60 pounds of honey for sale each year,” Giles said, and “all proceeds from honey sales are then invested back into the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective to expand our geographic reach, assisting more people, communities and the environment.”
Since its creation in 2017, ABC has helped hundreds of people in Summers and surrounding counties learn how to raise bees, harvest honey and sell their products in an environmentally responsible way. Giles, who returned home to West Virginia for this venture and has been involved from the ground up, said “I’ve witnessed the many benefits of this social economic initiative.”
Hinton is home for the ABCHoney.org website, honey processing and a STEM education camp for young people. Giles explained “natural honey sales on our new website – ABCHoney.org – are produced by our beekeepers’ harvests from their 850 hives.”
The ABCHoney.org website features a selection of natural honey in addition to products from partners Blenko Glass, J.D. Dickinson Salt, Walter Hyleck pottery, and Rishi teas. The site also features many of the area beekeepers who were trained and supported by the program. “When you shop with us, you support beekeepers, bees and environmental programs that help restore ecosystems in West Virginia,” said Giles.
“We know Central Appalachia is an ideal location for natural beekeeping and honey produced from this region is distinct from other brands,” Giles continued. “The abundance of diverse forest and undeveloped land in our area helps keep our bees healthy,” she said. “Our native Appalachian forests offer an abundance of nectar-rich species such as tulip poplar, black locust, sourwood, and wildflowers. Most agricultural land is devoted to livestock, and much of the area is covered in excellent bee forage, like clover. We have a minimal number of agricultural crops to contribute to the range of synthetic chemicals other bees often endure.”
The number of pollinators, such as honeybees, have been severely declining in recent years and opportunities to learn how to become a beekeeper are available.
To learn more about how to get started by searching the new ABCHoney.org website or by contacting the Appalachian Bee Collective and Appalachian Headwaters.
