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June is National Pollinators Month, and no one cares for the pollinators in our state more than beekeepers and honey producers. Stoney Berry, owner of Elevated Apiary LLC in Colfax, has been working with bees for nearly a decade and continues to learn something new every day.
In 2016, Stoney Berry decided to pursue a dream he had been considering for years by purchasing a few bee hives and establishing Elevated Apiary. “My grandfather grew up with bees, but he died when I was very young, so I never got the chance to learn from him,” Stoney said. “However, the more I learned about him growing up, the more I wanted to follow in his footsteps and raise bees of my own.” From then until now, Stoney has grown his operation to house over 100 bee colonies, producing on average 2,000 pounds of honey each year. “Starting out was difficult since I am a self-taught, first-generation beekeeper, but my friend and mentor Bryan Fisher helped a lot in the beginning by stopping by the apiary once a week to train and educate me,” he said. “Once I started to get the hang of things, I got involved with my local bee club, the Guilford County Beekeepers Club, where I learned from the hands of many experienced beekeepers. I wouldn’t be where I am today without these mentors.” In addition to operating the bee farm, Stoney is also currently the President of the Guilford County Beekeepers Club where he works with other beekeepers across the state to further advance the industry, as well as mentors upcoming beekeepers.
Elevated Apiary produces both wildflower honey and sourwood honey each year, as well as a Habanero Hot Honey and several types of creamed honey with locally sourced flavors. “All wildflower honey tastes a little different based on the region you are located in and the flowers the bees pollinate from,” Stoney said. “Sourwood honey, however, comes straight from the Appalachian Mountains and has a more buttery flavor as opposed to the sweet flavor of wildflower honey.” In addition to honey, Stoney also produces bees wax for candles and cosmetics, pollen and propolis, and wax foundations for the bees themselves.
So, how is honey produced each year at Elevated Apiary? Every April, Stoney sets out his honey supers to start the season. Honey supers are boxes placed on top of the brood box above the queen excluder where the bees store their honey. They typically consist of 8 to 10 frames. “Each hive is different based on the genetics and behavior of the queen, so I could have one honey super that produces a large amount of honey while another may produce less,” Stoney explained. “However, our supers usually last through mid-June and, weather permitting, allow us to harvest enough honey to last the remainder of the year.” Once the honey is ready to harvest in mid-June, Stoney has several fume boards that he uses to extract the honey while ensuring the safety of the bees. “A fume board is a covering with a piece of felt on the bottom that is sprayed with a substance like Bee Gone, which is activated by the suns heat, that runs the bees to the bottom of the hive,” he said. “Then I can pop the tops off the supers and harvest the honey without the bees getting in my way.” Stoney has also been known to use a leaf blower to keep some of the bees out of the way during harvest and ensure none of them are harmed or stepped on. “The bees are the moneymakers, so ensuring they stay out of the way and safe during honey harvest is essential to the operation,” he said. Once the honey is harvested, the honey supers are set out for the bees to clean up every last bit and then are stored until the next honey flow.
Harvested honey must be strained and given time to settle before it can be sold for public consumption. “Straining the honey removes any wax particles and debris from the hive from the final product,” Stoney said. “The strainer is then placed over clean buckets so the purified honey can be put into jars. From there the buckets are sealed and stored in a cool, dry place until they are sold.” On average, the settling process takes 24 to 48 hours. Products from Elevated Apiary can currently be purchased on Etsy or through their social media channels and website. “I am in the process of looking for a market to sell my products at,” Stoney said. “In addition to the apiary, I also work full-time at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market where I used to sell.” If you are interested in purchasing honey or candles from Elevated Apiary, simply send them a message through social media or the website and Stoney will help you with the ordering process. In addition to sourwood and wildflower honey, he also offers habanero hot honey and five flavors of creamed honeys for purchase.
Have you ever wondered how bees are cared for, and care for themselves, during the winter months? According to Stoney, bees will fly at temperatures of 45°F but anything much lower they will huddle together inside the hive to stay warm. “Bees cuddle together inside the hive when winter arrives,” he said. “In fact, they will often rotate between the inner part of the huddle and the outside to ensure everyone gets warm. In the huddle, bees vibrate and hum to create warmth in addition to body heat.” As a beekeeper, Stoney also has a responsibility to give extra care to his bees during the winter months by treating them for mites directly following honey harvest and ensuring they have enough food to last through winter. “Many beekeepers will feed their bees either honey or sugar syrup,” he said. “After filling a hive with food, you pick it up to feel how heavy it is. The heavier the better because that means they have enough food to last a while in the hive.” In addition to providing extra care to bees in the winter months, Stoney faces many challenges each year with weather, heat and bee stings. In fact, he can receive 70+ bee stings on average each week! “My body reacts pretty well to a bee sting, even though they still hurt,” he said. “At this point, I’d rather have a bee sting than a mosquito bite.” Despite the hard work and challenges faced, Stoney wouldn’t change anything in the world for the joy he feels each day operating the apiary. “It’s an honor to be a part of our state’s number one industry,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in what I do, especially when I hear from customers that enjoy my products. It makes all the hard moments worth it to know I am contributing something to society that people enjoy.” Stoney is so proud to be a part of this industry, he even got a part of the Got to Be NC logo on his arm!
For anyone interested in beekeeping, Stoney suggests first getting involved with your local bee club to learn from others in the industry. “Due to social media and news outlets, beekeeping has a tendency to look glamorous, but it isn’t for everyone,” he said. “By getting involved in a local bee club, you can get hands-on experience and shadow someone at their own apiary to determine if you really love it. If you do, then continue to work with experienced beekeepers, ask questions and take the leap of faith. It’s a great industry to be a part of!” We are so proud of all that Stoney is doing at Elevated Apiary to further our state’s bee and honey industry. Look for his products online on the website or their social media channels and try some for yourself today!
