Cross Plains beekeeper named Tennessee Beekeepers Association president

The Tennessee Beekeepers Association recently announced a new slate of officers, elected for the coming year.

The incoming president is Barry Richards of Cross Plains, Tenn.

Richards is a 4th-generation beekeeper who previously served as TBA president in 2003 and 2004 and was named Tennessee’s Beekeeper of the Year in 2002.

Richards has also served on the nominations committee for the National Honey Board and as president of the multi-state Heartland Apicultural Society. He is active in the Robertson County Beekeepers Association and serves on the board of directors for the Nashville Area Beekeepers Association.

Richards sells honey in local stores in Cross Plains under the Red River Bees label. He and his wife, Rebecca Richards, work as Realtors in Tennessee and Kentucky for EXIT Realty Garden Gate Team.

Richards also works as a video producer with BigScreen Productions in Nashville.

Other officers elected include Executive VP, Ron Coleman; West Tennessee VP, Lynn Woods; Middle Tennessee VP, Jim Garrison; East Tennessee VP, Dennis Barry; Upper East Tennessee VP Wanda Coleman; Secretary, Danny Scott; and Treasurer Petra Mitchell.

The Tennessee Beekeepers Association represents the interests of beekeepers across the state with a membership of 1,707 (as of 10/21/17) and 44 affiliated local beekeeping clubs.

A total of 454 beekeepers attended the TBA annual conference earlier this month at Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion in Cookeville.