Boothbay Region Garden Club

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 29, 2023
Denny and Donna Denniston – Owners of Barters Island Bees - to Speak at Boothbay Region Garden
Club
The owners of Barters Island Bees – Denny and Donna Denniston - will be speaking September 13 at
approximately 1:30 pm at the Boothbay Garden Club’s monthly members meeting. They will discuss,
among other topics, how their operation addresses two issues that are important to local residents: the
welfare of bees and food insecurity.
As you probably guessed from the name of their business, Donna and Denny Denniston are
residents of Barters Island. 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 all around the east side of the island. The
Dennistons and their neighbors on the island are committed to providing the bees with the
healthiest environment possible... one without harmful pesticides, lots of wildflowers and all
the protections that we, as humans, can provide.
Donna is responsible for the creation of the products sold by the company. Shed 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 Maine Mousse was born!
The Honey Butter is also available infused with organic Blueberry-Lemon, Cinnamon and Gentle
Ginger. These mousse-like pure honey products have turned out to be as popular as the
original honey!
They 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 things that we both care about very much. Our bees
help us do some good." said Denny. They support Veggies to Table, a non-profit farm providing
healthy food and beautiful flowers directly to those in need. 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!".
Unlike most commercially produced honey, the natural honey that they sell is produced in
small batches right on their property. They oversee every step of the process. The raw honey
sold is all natural and never filtered or heated. The honey that they use for their Maine
Mousse is either from their hives or from the hives of other local Maine beekeepers who
maintain these same standards.
The public is encouraged to join us for Denny and Donna’s presentation following the Garden Club’s
monthly business meeting which begins at 1:00 pm.
The Boothbay Region Garden Club promotes interest in the art and practice of gardening, education and
the beautification of the Boothbay Region.  The Club serves the Boothbay peninsula and the surrounding
area through gardening projects, programs, education and scholarships—fostering deep friendships
through working together to make a difference in our environment.

Come and join us for this informative presentation!
For more information: https://www.boothbayregiongardenclub.org/

https://bartersislandbees.com/
When: Wednesday, September 13th at approximately 1:30 pm
Where: St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 32 Emery Lane, Boothbay Harbor