Indiana State Fair - A Palette of Honey

Delicious local honey is usually found during a pleasant drive in the country to visit a local market or roadside stand. But honey found this way offers little diversity of flavor as it comes from within a limited area. I wondered if I could get a wider selection at a state fair. I decided to visit the Indiana State Fair after a close look at their website. I'd also found a reference to a special honey ice cream made by the Indiana Beekeeper's Association that was rumored to be available there.

As I drove south to the fair, I wondered how much focus would be paid to honey when compared to Indiana's major agricultural focus of corn, popcorn, peppermint, chickens and ice cream.

As it turned out, even as a relatively small part of Indiana's overall agricultural focus, it enjoys strong support and prominence because bees provide valuable pollination services, honey is a valued product and from my personal perspective, bees and honey are fun.

The fair was bigger than I'd imagined. It took me quite a while to find the building where the honey competition had been held, but once inside, the display of honey competitors was impressive. The darker honeys are grouped in the amber category and the light honey in the light category.

Honey Competition: Results - Agricultural/Horticulture - Apiary - (unofficial)

Category A (From honey exhibited and for sale at the fair - Cannot enter honey in category B)

  • Light Extracted Honey: 1st - Phillip Juengel, 2nd - Tracy Hunter, 3rd - Duane Rekeweg
  • Amber Extracted Honey: 1st - Duane Rekeweg, 2nd - Tracy Hunter, 3rd - Phillip Juengel
  • Chunk Honey, 24 - 1 lb jars: 1st - Duane Rekeweg, 2nd - Phillip Juengel, 3rd - Tracy Hunter
  • Creamed Honey, 24 - 1 lb jars: 1st - Duane Rekeweg, 2nd - Tracy Hunter, 3rd - Phillip Juengel

Category B

  • Light Extracted Honey: 1st - John Hopwood
  • Amber Extracted Honey: 1st - Skip and Luann Wile, 2nd - Andrew Cook
  • Champion: Skip and Luann Wile
  • Grand Champion: Skip and Luann Wile

The Indiana Beekeepers' Association General store had honey and bee products from many beekeepers across the state. Notice the honey ice cream for sale!

The range of honey and bee products was staggering.

The best part of the store was the "try before you buy" free tasting. The range of flavors was impressive!
The ISBA also gave a series of presentations and information about beekeeping of great interest to visitors and future 'beeks' (beekeeping slang for 'beekeepers').
Tracy Hunter and his son, Ross pose in their booth. Ross is the 4th generation in the family honey business. Offering many different varieties of honey including, alfalfa, basswood, buckwheat, orange blossom, thistle, blueberry, spanish needle, goldenrod, sourwood and watermelon blossom.
My haul of honey from left to right, mountain sourwood, watermelon blossom, alfalfa, creamed honey, thistle, multifloral and locust! I am still enjoying each and every one.
And the honey ice cream? I bought some pre-made honey but found this recipe over by the beekeeping booth. Let me know what you think!