© 2017-2025. Haywood County Beekeepers Chapter                                                  webmaster@hcbees.org                                Privacy Policy

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Our Commitment

It is the function of the Haywood County Beekeepers Chapter (HCBC) Board Members to govern the bee club in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of the chapter and promote friendship between all beekeeper members. As officers and directors of the club, we are at the disposal of our members, to serve them in the best manner possible, while helping to promote a healthy relationship between all club members and our local communities. Below, you will find short biographical summaries of each board member, describing their beekeeping experience and other attributes of their life.

WAITING for BIO

My wife Ann and I have lived at 3500 feet in a rural section of Haywood County for 21 years. We had been concerned about the declining bee population when Ann saw a notice for a two-day introduction to beekeeping.  We went to get a general idea about the situation with the bees and won a smoker, one package of bees, and one bee jack with a hood.  Reluctantly, we became bee keepers.  During the last eight years we have experienced many more good years than bad.  We are busy people so the monthly HCBC meetings became our bee school providing major resources for all we have learned from splits to swarms to fighting varroa mites and more.  These meetings with the outside speakers and members ensure that we walk away with something new learned every month.  In addition, membership in HCBC and North Carolina State Bee Association has provided invaluable site visits and resources.  The honey we harvest is fantastic for our own personal consumption and our neighbors, friends and family are always eager to receive our honey gifts.  So, although we might have been reluctant beekeepers at first, aiding these wonderful creatures has become a rewarding hobby that benefits us personally as well as the nature that surrounds us.  

WAITING for BIO

I met my wife, Melanie, while attending Appalachian State University. We always said we would return to the NC Mountains we fell in love as soon as we could, so when I retired from the Army in 2013 we made a bee-line to Western NC and settled in Clyde. I have tried my hand at bee keeping several times since 2013 but found that without some bee education, bee-keeping is really only bee-having (for a limited time). I really only consider myself a bee-keeper for the past year or so. In addition to the bees, I raise goats and alpacas. Melanie and I own the WNC Real Estate Store in Maggie Valley and enjoy working with home buyers and sellers. When we’re not doing that, you can find us on our farm, Windsong Vista Farm, just below Cedar Cliff Mountain in the Crabtree area of Clyde.

Allen's adventure into beekeeping began as a youngster when his father and grandfather were beekeepers in the mid 70's.  Allen states, "Beekeeping is an enjoyable hobby of mine and I have been keeping bees for over ten years.” Further, Allen has completed the Master Beekeeper or third of four levels in the Master Beekeepers Program with the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association (NCSBA)." Allen has also completed sessions one and two of the NC 'Born & Bred' program and he is currently engaging in queen rearing and making splits. He is using natural methods including the NICOT system of rearing queen bees. Allen currently serves as an NCSBA Mountain Regional Director.

In closing, Allen has been in Pastoral ministry for over twenty years and was the Pastor of Center Pigeon Baptist Church for ten years in Haywood County. Allen is currently serving as interim pastor of the Meadow Grove Baptist Church and he lives in the Bethel community with his wife, Debbie. They have one daughter, Trisha, who is a graduate of Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida with a master’s degree in nursing and is currently serving on teaching staff at Pensacola Christian College.

Judi was chasing the idea of becoming a beekeeper for about ten years, however with various neighborhood restrictions and the demands of a busy work schedule the timing simply did not allow her to pursue her dream.  When she and her husband moved to Waynesville in 2019, the Haywood County Beekeeper Chapter was the first group she joined.  Judi has been impressed with the varying levels of experience within the club, which in turn provides great support to all members.  She is also a member of the NC State Beekeepers Association.

During a two-year period, Judi worked in the Charlotte area and was able to take part in the Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association where she achieved her NC State Beekeeper Certification in April of 2022.  She has had good success with honey harvesting and you can find JuJu’s Bee honey for sale around town.

Currently, she is in her third year of managing her own hives at two locations.  During these last few years Judi was fortunate to have the support of experienced mentors and has gained a great deal of knowledge.  Judi has found that each year presents different challenges in the apiary and that there is always so much more to learn.

Judi oversees the club’s resource library and aids with new beekeepers, supporting the annual bee school and takes part in various volunteer opportunities with club members.

A transplant from the deep south to the mountains of Western North Carolina, I forged a sincere appreciation for nature and the wildlife in the area.  Once here, I took notice of the diverse plant life in the mountains and began to understand how this diversity could impact the local honey.  I became interested in beekeeping several years ago. However, I did not get started until 2023, when I took a beekeeping class at Haywood Community College. But, during those years, I sought information on the topic.

In my research, it became apparent how honey is not just natures’ sweet treat, but truly a gift from God. That research led me down the rabbit hole to discover how amazing honey bees are as creatures.  That discovery and interest got the best of me, and I became a beekeeper hobbyist following the class at Haywood Community College, as taught by a fellow bee club member, David Zachary.  As I delved into the local beekeeper community, my interest grew with the help of the members of the Haywood County Beekeepers Association.

© 2017-2025. Haywood County Beekeepers Chapter                                                  webmaster@hcbees.org                                Privacy Policy