Bonus Short - Winning Honey with Stephanie Slater

In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Stephanie Slater launches a new monthly series focused on honey shows, judging, and the art of presenting hive products.

Stephanie begins by sharing how she got started in beekeeping, tracing her journey from attending an Earth Day presentation to becoming an active honey show competitor and judge. Her story sets the stage for a series designed to make honey shows more accessible to beekeepers at all levels.

This first episode focuses on the value of entering honey shows. Stephanie explains how competition raises quality standards, helps beekeepers improve their craft, and serves as an important educational tool for the public. Honey shows don't just reward good beekeeping—they help tell the story of honey bees and the products they produce.

She also introduces one of the most approachable entry points: the Center for Honey Bee Research Black Jar Contest. Unlike traditional shows, this competition focuses entirely on taste, with entries judged blind. Stephanie walks through the basics of entering, including submission timing, entry requirements, and what to expect during judging.

Throughout the episode, Stephanie emphasizes that honey shows are not just about winning ribbons—they're about learning, improving, and connecting with other beekeepers.

This new monthly series will release on the first Wednesday of each month, offering practical guidance for anyone interested in improving their hive products and participating in honey shows.

______________

Brought to you by Betterbee – your partners in better beekeeping.

Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

_______________

We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com

Thank you for listening!

Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott.

Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC

** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases

Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC