Five Southern Belles and a Queen Bee

What happens when you put five Southern women and a queen bee together? Okay, this isn’t a humorous anecdote, but a real question. The answer: They make blueberry honey, and some incredible honey at that and it’s from right here in Georgia. 

Byne Blueberry Farms is a family-owned business comprised of husband and wife team Richard and Linda Byne and their four daughters: Diane, Janie, AnnNell and Marian in Waynesboro, Ga. (about 40 minutes south of Augusta). This organic farm is on 400 acres of which 20 acres have over 10,000 blueberry bushes. The Bynes’ farm produces a delicious, high-quality blueberry (during the season) due to their attention to detail, quality, organic practices and the use of the Rabbiteye blueberry which has a reputation for producing a sweet, high-fructose blueberry. The family has such high standards when they grade their blueberries that what’s left over goes into making a line of 15 quality blueberry products that include to name just a few: blueberry jam, jelly, butter, preserves, syrup, dessert toppings, cider, jalapeño jelly, award-winning salsa and honey. But oh, the honey.    

The Byne Blueberry Farms Honey is made naturally from the honey bees that polinate the 10,000 blueberry bush blossom on the farm in Waynesboro, Ga.

The blueberry honey is one of their newest line extensions, but what makes this product so unique is that the honey isn’t made with blueberries like their other products, but by the honey bees and hives located on the farm. It takes a variety of bees—honey bees, carpenter bees and bumble bees—to perform the vital pollination of all the blueberry blossoms, so they’ll turn into blueberries, but the honey bees are the ones that go back to their hive and produce the Bynes’ blueberry honey with the sweet nectar of the blueberry blossom. 

I stumbled across the Byne Blueberry Farms Honey by chance while grocery shopping before the holidays and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all who joined us when we entertained all through the holidays. Richard likes getting out there and meeting customers and letting them sample a variety of his products, so don’t be surprised if you see him in one of your area specialty food stores. He sports a blue-and-white stripped apron and will have a swarm of customers abuzz his demo table.

Byne Blueberry Farms’ products are currently sold at Yvonne’s Flowers & Gifts and Pineland Bakery in Waynesboro, Ga. as well as  in the southeast locations of Earth Fare and Whole Foods; or ask you local grocery store to bring in the blueberry products that interest your taste buds. You’ll be supporting a local farmer and a lot of local bees. For more information go to byneblueberries.com.