James Rish holds up a bottle of Rish Honey, Wewahitchka beekeepers since 1885, while his grandson Nathan James Rish, in red, handles orders. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
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Honey reigns despite the rain

ByDavid Adlerstein
Savana Mayhann sang country tunes in the pavilion in the afternoon. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
The team from Go With The Flow, which has about 1,600 hives along the Chipola River, shows off their waters. From left are Kristen Roberson, Travis Wynn, and his parents, Jeni and Gary Adkison, who own and operate the business. Wynn, Gary’s stepson, graduated with a degree in environmental studies from the University of Central Florida last year. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Members of the Wewahitchka High School Class of 2025 launched their Project Graduation fundraising drive with a booth at the festival. From left are Gavin Miller, Wyatt Husband, Cole Williams, Johonna Tran, Ashlyn Ake and Zoey Ake. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Boo Bryant, who raises his bees in hives in and around Tate’s Hell. Fort Gadsden, Kennedy Creek and Owl Creek, offers a sample of honey to Jane Keeler, who was visiting from Caledonia, Mississippi. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Debbar Filos is carrying on the business started by her late husband, Dustin Pope who was a Vietnam vet. Filos, also an Army vet, has just six hives right now but hopes to triple that by year’s end. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Julian Pittman, part of the Pittman Magic act together with Melody Pittman, does some fancy juggling, [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Carolyn Beck, manager at Smiley Honey, stands with the array of products. Now under new management, the company was founded as Smiley Apiaries by Donald Smiley, a former Franklin County oysterman who turned to beekeeping in the 1990s. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]
Maria Daley stands with her products from T’s Honey, LLC, which operates about 500 hives in the Liberty, Leon and Wakulla County area. Seated at left is Trinity Carlisle. [ David Adlerstein | The Star ]

For a while it looked like the Toney Honey Festival in Wewahitchka Saturday would be a washout, as light rains came and went.

But in the end, the festival managed to stay alive and the visitors kept coming, to revel in the glorious nectar that has earned Wewahitchka its status as a leading producer of Tupelo honey.

There was entertainment in the pavilion, and lots of booths and of course plenty of varieties of honey to be savored.

Meet the Editor

David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.

Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.

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Wendy Weitzel The Star Digital Editor

One Comment

  1. I really had a fantastic time at the TUPELO Festival even with the rain I honestly appreciate everyone who weathered the raining day to support all the participants it looked bleak at times but then another small crowd would come by and talk about the Honey the weather and some talked about their family’s I say thank you to all for making the day better.

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