Meet Kerry Owen | Retired partner of Bee Well Honey Farm INC.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kerry Owen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kerry, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Being raised in rural NC/SC mountain region I was exposed to the farmstead lifestyle by default. Farming was just what we did. We bartered or traded gifts with each other and our gifts generally were handmade, homemade, and was just a way of survival. After I moved out of the rural area into more of a metropolitan lifestyle, I realized many people had no idea what a real farm life was like. I would get many laughs and strange looks when I spoke of squirrel hunting or plucking a chicken. I noticed at that time everyone had a bee hive or two which they called bee gums which were hollow tree slices with a piece of tin on top. Little did I know that that little honeybee and that farm produced food would play such an important part in my family’s future.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our work after 25 years of business it’s simply what everyone else’s is, how do we secure our farm income while maneuvering thru a world that have mostly forgotten the farmer. We focus a lot on educating people about farming and investing in City, State and local governments. The newer generations have very little muscle memory as I did regarding farming. Agritourism has become our family’s next challenge. Let people come and see our history and how we re-invented ourselves over time, with time. Bee Well Honey now offers a coffee shop, health food store, cafe, live music, honeybee sales, queen bee sales, wholesale and retail honey sales, Classes, Tours, Event rental space with Farm to table Chef. Taproom and a Beekeeping Equipment Supply store.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We love the area lakes, waterfalls, hiking trails etc. Most of all we enjoy doing the hard things. We thrive off creating an event for our customers. Not only do we give them a good deal on a great product but hopefully they learn something about farming as they visit us.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, Donna, gave me a book called “Five Acres and Independance” by M.G. Gains a small farm management book. I tried many things in the book, but the honey money was fun. Honeybees were interesting and a local beekeeper Paul Rogers and I spent many hours together talking bees and if you knew Mr. Rogers as I called him, we talked a lot about God. He was a dear friend. I called a friend of mine Ernie Moretz in Boone NC and he hooked me up with my first beehive. Looking back I went nuts, I bought everything old or new that had anything to do with honeybees.

Website: https://beewellhoneyfarm.com