Dusty Newton
Backyard Honey Farming BY CAROLYN DRINKARD
Taking care of his bees is calming and rewarding for Dusty Newton. His bees recognize him as their caretaker and allow him to peer inside their amazing world.
B
ee farming is a rewarding experience, which dates back over centuries. Beekeepers help to keep the world alive, while becoming a part of one of life’s oldest natural processes: the making of honey! Beekeeping in Clarke County has traditionally centered on a few individuals who keep one or two hives to harvest backyard honey for their own use. Some of these honey farmers decided that the best way to increase their knowledge about beekeeping and get to know other beekeepers was to form a local beekeeper association. Under the leadership of Judge J.R. Morgan, the beekeepers adopted a Constitution and Bylaws, identified their goals, set dates to meet bimonthly and elected a slate of officers. They named their new group, “The Clarke County Bee Keepers Association,” even though the members had reached out to apiculturists in surrounding areas. The elected of-
ficers included J.R. Morgan, president; Dusty Newton, vice president; Melissa Dozier, treasurer; and Rebecca Vick, secretary. Each officer was an established beekeeper, eager to mentor anyone who wanted to learn more about bees. One of those working hard to form the local beekeeping organization was Dusty Newton, who also served as vice president. Even though Dusty Newton has a full-time job in the Engineering Department at Alabama River Cellulose, his apiculture hobby has become a passion! Dusty lives in the small community of Asbury, just outside of Grove Hill. His fascination with bees began years ago while he lived in Tuscaloosa. A friend owned 30 hives and asked Dusty to help. Dusty enjoyed working with the bees so much that his friend trained him in beekeeping. When Dusty and his family later moved to Clarke County, the friend gave Dusty two hives to August 2021
41
