The Dancing Bees of Rockhurst Farm
Exploring the Art of Beekeeping and the Joy of Cooking with Honey
By Nona Hurst
Part cookbook, part educational guide, and part personal memoir, The Dancing Bees of Rockhurst Farm tells the story of Nona Hurst, her husband Dr. John Hurst, and the remarkable farm they have built around their shared love of bees, honey, and the natural world.
Through beautiful recipes, beekeeping stories, and reflections from life on Rockhurst Farm, Nona invites readers into the fascinating world of honeybees — from the art of tending hives to the joy of bringing pure, local honey into the kitchen. More than a cookbook, this is a celebration of patience, stewardship, Southern farm life, and one of nature’s most treasured foods.
Rockhurst Farm Honey has become known for its rich, distinctive flavor, shaped by the flowers, trees, and wild landscape of Alabama. In this book, that same honey becomes the heart of the kitchen, inspiring recipes that are warm, memorable, and deeply connected to place.
The story of Rockhurst Farm even reached Hollywood when Matthew McConaughey and Kurt Russell came to Alabama to film The Rivals of Amziah King, a movie centered around beekeeping culture and the valuable world of honey and hives. In search of authentic local expertise, producers found Dr. John Hurst, a retired OB-GYN and respected master beekeeper, whose knowledge, equipment, and setting helped bring the beekeeping story to life.
There may be honey cookbooks, and there may be books about bees — but The Dancing Bees of Rockhurst Farm brings both together in a way that feels personal, authentic, and beautifully rooted in Alabama farm life.
Pair it with a jar of Rockhurst Farm Honey for a thoughtful gift, a Southern kitchen treasure, or a sweet reminder of the simple beauty found in nature.