Issue 1 - April 2023

Given that Spring arrived a little early for us, so have my weekend trips to the apiary. Once the weather starts to warm and plant life begins to return, the bees will begin venturing from the hives to gather food - it’s now, in early Spring, that one must de-winterize their hives to prepare them for a successful season of honey production.

This involves unwrapping the hives from their insulation, along with removing barriers around the hives that protect them from winds. This has to be done early enough in the season so that the hives don’t overheat from their own thermal energy in addition to increased sunshine.

I’m happy to say that we have seven healthy, active hives, and I’m ordering four nucleus colonies (these are frames of eggs with an active queen) to start new hives in the apiary. That’ll give us eleven hives on the farm!

Bee season is officially underway on the farm. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together.

In the Kitchen

Naturally-Dyed Eggs

Easter is just days away, and even if you don’t celebrate, we think that creating these beautiful naturally-dyed eggs is a great way to flex your artistic muscles. We made dyes from onion skins, red cabbage, and other botanicals—and the results were gorgeous. This is a great weekend activity for families and friends!

Honey Mustard Chicken

The return of warmer weather means that eating al fresco is back! Perfect for a cozy dinner outside, our honey mustard chicken is delicious and easy to prepare. Pair with Spring veggies, like asparagus or snap peas, and enjoy with a glass of white wine and good company. Featured in Taste of Home Magazine.

In the Lab

We are working hard on creating beautiful cold-process soap…this is in the early days of development and will take much testing, but it’s so exciting seeing the pieces begin to come together.

We’ve paired with a very talented chemist and soap maker to guide us through this process as we work out formulations that we know you will love.

This month we are running tests by establishing formulas and performing the chemical process of saponification. The resulting bars of soap have to be allowed to cure for at least a month (preferably longer) to be usable. And then, testing will commence and packaging will be developed. Stay tuned for more on this exciting process!