Carroll County, Tenn.–Paige Costello, a rising 10th grade homeschooler and current member of 4-H in Carroll County, Tennessee, has been declared the national winner of the 4-H Beekeeping Essay contest, which is sponsored by the Foundation for the Preservation of Honeybees, Inc.
Paige was declared the Tennessee state 4-H winner in March and will now receive a national award of $750.00. Paige was also recognized with a proclamation from Carroll County Mayor, Joseph Butler, at the May County commission meeting.
Paige’s prize-winning essay, entitled “Why is Beeswax Important?” will be published in ABF Quarterly, the magazine of the American Beekeeping Federation. In her essay, she explains the importance of beeswax to the hive, the purpose it serves, and shares her favorite use for beeswax in a recipe in making homemade beeswax crayons.
Paige is the daughter of Oliver and Lisa Costello, and the family owns Camp Costello Farms Honey where they raise bees and produce 100% pure raw wildflower honey, beehive products, and offer educational programs to students in Carroll and surrounding counties. When Paige is not helping her family with their honey business, she is actively involved in the 4-H Horse Project, 4-H Honor Club and All-Stars, Ag Leadership Mentoring Program, and she also serves as the Carroll County 4-H Healthy Living Ambassador.
The Beekeeping Essay Contest allows 4-H’ers to use their writing and research skills in developing an essay on a beekeeping-related topic. Cash awards are available to winners on the national and state level. The 2023 topic was “The Importance of Beeswax.”
For more information about 4-H Beekeeping, visit https://4h.tennessee.edu/beekeeping-and-entomology/.