My apiaries in Chatham County and Western North Carolina are

focused on hive health

Chemical-free beekeeping

My natural beekeeping practices have been recognized in AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL and MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

VSH queen lineage

In an effort to manage varroa mites naturally, all of my queens descend from varroa-sensitive hygienic (VSH) queens.

Small-batch honey

Since hive health is the #1 priority here, I only extract honey from hives that produce a surplus. ​I only harvest about 1/3 of a colony's honey.

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Events

🐝Monday, October, 20, 2025, 6:30 p.m. | Union County Beekeepers, Monroe, North Carolina
Permaculture Design in Apiaries
How can you turn waste into treasure, work less, increase biodiversity, and boost climate resiliency in your bee yards? In this session you'll get a baseline understanding of permaculture. Then you'll learn real examples about how to incorporate permaculture design principles into your apiaries and pollinator habitats. This will inspire you to think differently about your bee yards and landscape, to see connections you may have missed, and design a space that fits your unique hive management.
Free and open to the public.

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Get a mentor

Learn about mentorship

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As seen in
​
American Bee Journal, September 2021
"A New Honey Label?"

Mother Earth News, February 2021
​ "Naturally Made Certification for Beekeepers..."

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Natural beekeeping

Five Acres Honey Farm avoids chemicals

I'm serious about hive management. I'm committed to avoiding synthetic chemicals and GMOs, not only in the hives, but on our land. Chemical-free beekeeping is a topic I speak about to beekeeping clubs. I foster gentle, queenright colonies adapted to the Piedmont and mountains of North Carolina.

My core values

I believe in:

• Designing life around one's values and helping others do the same
• A health-focused lifestyle supported by ethically-produced, nutrient-dense food and products from the hive
• Leaving the earth better than how we found it
• Using everything possible. (Turning waste into treasure.)
• Small steps creating a big impact
• Bee-centered landscapes
• Living seasonally and honoring the ebb and flow of nature’s cycles

Meet the bees

All of my queens have names and unique personalities: Queens Annette, Gloria, Helena, Isadora, Jade, Karma, Mauve, Nantahala, Ocoee, Shirley, Tessa, Ulani, Veda, Wauchecha, Xara, and Yara. Follow updates on Instagram with #fiveacreshoneyfarm. 

About my honey farm