Tabitha Mansker, the 2016 American Honey Princess, will visit the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.
EAST AMWELL TWP. - Tabitha Mansker, the 2016 American Honey Princess, will visit the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair.
Tabitha Mansker, the 2016 American Honey Princess, will visit the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair. (courtesy photo)She will be there as a guest of the Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association, speaking to fairgoers about the importance of honeybees to the public's daily lives and how honeybee pollination is the foundation of a billion-dollar industry. She will also share information about the many uses for honey, including how it has a healing touch.
She will be present at Northwest New Jersey Beekeepers Association's honey exhibit and will give daily demonstrations.
Although her schedule has not been announced, she is likely to be there Thursday, Friday and Saturday, at various times during the day and evening.
The honey princess is the 20-year-old daughter of Gary and Wanda Mansker of Nevada, Texas. She is pursuing studies in business and marketing and hopes to become a teacher. Tabitha stays busy helping to manage her family's 16 hives of bees and extracting honey for many commercial beekeeping operations.
See Flemington Speedway racers at the fair
As the Honey Princess, she speaks on behalf of the American Beekeeping Federation, an organization representing beekeepers and honey producers throughout the United States.
The Honey Queen and Princess speak and promote in venues nationwide, and, as such Princess Tabitha is traveling throughout the United States this year.
Before her current role, she served as the 2015 Texas Honey Queen. In this role, she promoted the honey industry at fairs, festivals, and farmers' markets, via media interviews, and in schools.
The beekeeping industry touches the lives of every individual in our country, she noted. Honeybees are responsible for nearly one-third of our entire diet, through the pollination services that they provide for a large majority of fruits, vegetables nuts and legumes. This amounts to nearly $19 billion per year of direct value from honeybee pollination to United States agriculture.
Her visit to New Jersey and the fair was arranged by Fran Wasitowski of S & F Honey Farm in Raritan Township. She and her husband, Stan, are active members of the Northwest beekeepers group.