Overview
Your Barters Island beekeepers and honey lovers are Donna and Denny Denniston, residents of Barters Island, Maine. Denny started with 3 hives in 2020. He loved working with the bees and turned out to be pretty good at beekeeping! Soon neighbors were also bitten by the bee bug, and Barters Island’s bees now live in hives around the island. The Dennistons and their beekeeeping neighbors are committed to providing the bees with the healthiest environment possible… one avoiding harmful pesticides, providing lots of wildflowers and giving them the protections that we, as humans, can provide. Donna says, “Our bees are pretty lucky to live in a place where even the neighbors look out for them. They also can fly a short distance across the water to enjoy a gourmet feast at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens!”
Donna is responsible for the creation of the products sold. She’d enjoyed ‘honey butter’ growing up in Tennessee, but noticed that you don’t see it much in Maine, She decided to try ‘creaming’ some of the honey herself and the product called ‘Maine Mousse’ was born! The creamed honey is available plain as ‘Honey Butter’ but is also available infused with organic Blueberry-Lemon, Cinnamon, Orange Cranberry and Gentle Ginger. These mousse-like pure honey products have turned out to be as popular as the original honey! You are warned that Donna experiments with other addictive flavors that might just be on the horizon!
Donna and Denny both say that the bees allow them to do something positive and creative. When they decided that this endeavor might be a business, they knew they wanted to give back. “Food insecurity and the welfare of bees are two causes that we both care about very much. Our bees help us make a difference in both areas” said Denny. They support bee welfare organization and Veggies to Table, a non-profit farm providing healthy food and beautiful flowers directly to those in need in Lincoln County. As Donna said, “We love the idea of providing the flowers along with the food raised on their farm… something for the body and the soul. Nature at its best!”
Learn more about us in this video produced by Merrior Seafoods, one of our vendors.
Our Products Are Available At The Locations Below
Pinkham's Gourmet Market - Boothbay, ME
Eventide Specialties - Boothbay Harbor, ME
Citizen Maine - Damariscotta, ME
Merrior Seafood - Bremen, ME