Spotlight: Sanders Honey Company

Hive to Home: Sanders Honey Company in Waycross, Georgia

In deep South Georgia, the Sanders Honey Company has been crafting more than just honey—they’ve been nurturing a legacy. What began as a modest family endeavor has blossomed into a beloved community cornerstone, where every jar tells a story of hard work, determined drive, and desire for community. At the center of it all is the Sanders family, who have built a business around honey; not just as a product, but a center point of community connection.

Passion Turned Profession 

For Josh Sanders, what began as a new hobby launched a thriving full-time family business and community staple. “About 12 years ago, I traded a deer rifle for ten beehives,” Josh said. “I didn’t know anything about bees. I did it on a whim.”

Josh had worked for several years in the trucking and trapping industries, and at the time was in school to be a game warden. That initial start with a few bee hives ignited a passion that changed the course of his career. He quit school and decided to dive full time into bee and honey production. His wife Jamie, a dental hygienist at the time, added, “A little pickup truck and a sixteen-foot trailer. That’s all he had. He learned as he went.”

Today, Josh and Jamie own Sanders Honey Company, managing 1,500 beehives scattered across the region and operating a bustling retail shop in the heart of Waycross, Georgia. The business is vertically integrated, meaning Josh, Jamie, and their three children, Ansleigh, Allie and Jordan, oversee honey from hive to sale. 

“We have hands on every part of the process to get it into the bottle,” said Jamie. “The customer can have confidence that they’re getting local, pure, raw and unfiltered honey.”

From Bee to Bottle 

The beekeeping and honey process begins with box hives strategically placed throughout the South Georgia woods, where bees can pollinate native flora like gallberries and blooming wildflowers. At times Josh will transport and place hives in Tennessee or Florida to collect honey of different species. 

The Sanders then collect frames from their hives and transport them to the operation’s “honey house,” where honey and comb are extracted, packaged and labeled. Finally, honey is sold wholesale to stores in the area or at the Sanders Honey Company retail shop.

The Sweet Spot: Sanders Honey Co. Shop

After a few years of producing and selling honey in the area, the Sanders took a leap into the retail business. The Sanders built their storefront in an old auto service building. What began as a leased space turned into the opportunity to buy. They currently lease extra space to a popular local coffee shop and have expanded to serving ice cream in the shared café space.

“We’ve repurposed this entire place into somewhere where families can come,” said Jamie, who now manages the store full-time. “And that’s something we wanted for the community to have.”

The shop offers a wide array of Sanders Honey products, including honeycomb slices, honey straws, best-selling jars of creamed honey and “Pecans ’n Honey,” made with local Georgia pecans. Shelves are also stocked with jams, jellies, pickles and other locally made goods, a testament to the family’s commitment to supporting Georgia-owned farms and small businesses.

“When we sell items here, we try to keep it as small and as Georgia as possible,” said Jamie. “It supports other farmers here in South Georgia. We know how much we appreciate support that helped get the business going. And that’s what it’s about—helping each other out.”

A Sweet Partnership

As the Sanders have grown and expanded their business, they’ve found a strong, consistent partner in AgSouth Farm Credit.

“After a few years, they wanted to expand their business, so they came to me for a loan for bee boxes and bees,” said Dan Good, loan officer in Blackshear, Georgia who’s partnered with the Sanders for more than a decade. “Then we did the retail store in Waycross.”

For Josh and Jamie, AgSouth’s strong agricultural knowledge is what sets their services apart. “With AgSouth, they know the possible struggles of a farmer,” said Josh. 

As customer-owners of their local Farm Credit cooperative, Josh and Jamie also receive a yearly Patronage distribution , which helps lower the cost of borrowing for farmers and ranchers in Georgia and beyond. Paired with the strong relationships loan officers build with each unique operation, Farm Credit associations like AgSouth are equipped to best support farmers and ranchers—in good times and bad.

“Dan, he’s been alongside us the whole way,” Jamie said. “He knows what challenges Josh may face and what needs he may have, financially and otherwise, and that’s one thing that stands out with AgSouth versus some of the other lending institutions.”

Growing a Legacy

As the Sanders look toward the future -  family, quality and community remain at the forefront of their mission. “What we hope for the future right now is to keep on producing a quality product,” Josh said. “And possibly, one day, maybe Jordan will take over the business!”

Watch Their Story

Connect with Sanders Honey Company:

Website: www.sandershoneyco.com 
Facebook: facebook.com/sandershoneycompany
Instagram: @sandershoneycompany