Apple Tree Swarm

The bees are still swarming!  Here is a video of a swarm that landed in our apple tree yesterday.  I was out in the garden, picking the Calendula flowers that we use to make our soap, when I heard a lot of buzzing in the air.  Sure enough.... thousands of bees were abuzz in the air... just starting to land on the tree branch.  You can hear the buzzing in the video if you listen closely.  

The Baby Goats are here!

The baby goats have finally arrived! Our goat Gilly had two baby boys 2 weeks ago. They are doing great, and love running around, chasing each other. Our goat Honey is still pregnant, but we think she might go into labor today. It is a great time to come to visit the farm to see the babies, the bees, and Becky's produce as it is really beginning to take off. This past weekend she had beautiful greens for sale at Worthington and Clintonville... Arugula, Tatsoi, Red Choi, and a varietal Lettuce Mix. This coming weekend we will be back at the North Market as well. Hope to see you at a market this week!


Here is a short clip of the baby goats as they are hanging out on their "playground." Their names are Oscar (black) and Oliver (brown).

Spring Planting and Swarm Season

Swarm season is upon us!  We have caught 6 swarms so far this year, and hope for many more.  Here is a picture of one of our hives as it is getting ready to swarm.  Usually when a hive is ready to swarm they will cluster on the front of their box, and soon you will start to notice hundreds... maybe thousands of bees buzzing through the air in an excited frenzy.  This hive came to us last year as a swarm... they had made their home in this duck box.  Since it was late in the season, we decided not to transfer them to a new hive, but to let them stay in the duck box, which Isaac fixed up on this tree next to our shop.  Obviously they are a bit crowded in such small quarters, and are throwing out a swarm to try to make room for themselves.

The sweet corn has been planted!  Justin, Adam, and Wesley Barnes helped get everything set up, and Justin did the planting.  It is a great help that we have family so willing to loan equipment, time, and expertise on big jobs such as this.  

From working in the greenhouse, to keeping the plants healthy and watered, selling plants on the weekends, trying to get seeds and transplants into the ground as the weather allows... I can't believe we're almost half way through May!  Below is a picture from our Greenhouse Open House a few weeks ago.  

Becky has been very busy planting, although the weather has not always been cooperative.  Here is a picture of her carharts and shoes after she planted onions in the rain.  Upon first glance I couldn't really tell that those were her shoes, but under the layer of muck, they really are there.

Fellow friend and farmer Kristen Baughman came to help plant potatoes, asparagus, and berries.  Here is a picture of her driving the tractor, while Becky prepares the potato planter.  Adam from Wayward Seed Farm loaned us this implement, which was extremely helpful and made planting potatoes so much quicker.  It was really fun to watch.  Becky fed the potatoes into the hopper while Kristen drove.  Now the only overwhelming thought is digging the potatoes when they are ready!  I'm sure they make a machine for that, but not sure if we know anyone who wants to loan it out.  

If you are headed out in the Columbus area this weekend, come check out our markets!  I will be selling honey, beeswax candles, plants, flowers, and more at the first ever Eco Chic Craftacular, located at the Whetstone Community Center in Clintonville on Saturday and Sunday.  Becky will be up in Worthington for the farmer's market, and she has some beautiful Easter Egg radishes, French Breakfast Radishes, and possibly some Arugula (maybe for those first few lucky customers).  We hope to see you there!  

Upcoming Markets: Where to Find Us this Spring

We have a very busy Spring market schedule!  This is where you can find us and our plants, honey, soaps, spring greens, etc over the next 5 weeks:

Saturday, April 25: Worthington Winter Market, 10-1, Griswold Sr.Center 

Saturday, May 2:  Clintonville Sprout Market, The North Market

Sunday, May 3:  Powell Street Fair (9-5), Greenhouse Open House on our farm (12-dusk)

Saturday, May 9: Plant Fest (Worthington Historic District 9-4), The North Market

Saturday, May 16:  Columbus Craftacular 10-6 (3923 N. High, Whetstone Comm.Center), Clintonville Urban Farmer's Market (1934 N.4th St), Worthington Farmer's Market

Sunday, May 17:  Columbus Craftacular 12-5 (www.columbuscraftacular.com) 

Tuesday, May 19:  Pearl Market, downtown Columbus 

We hope to see you at one of these markets!

Springtime at Honeyrun Farm

Well, it's definitely springtime in Ohio!  Rain.. rain... and more rain... with a few beautiful days in between.  Becky has planted a lot of root vegetables, lettuce, greens, and peas, and I have gotten some potatoes and onions in the ground.  It is exciting to see the freshly tilled soil (weed free at the moment), and to think of the possibilities to come.  Blackberries, raspberries, black raspberries, and asparagus will be planted within the next week (weather permitting).  Although we won't be able to harvest any of those until next year, it gives us a lot to look forward to.

Our 13 month old Mason has been keeping busy, helping out in the greenhouse and wandering into the nearby wheat field while I work on seeding and transplanting.  His favorite chore is filling pots with soil, although he is not the most efficient worker as he prefers to do this one fistful at a time.  In the greenhouse, we have onion transplants that are ready to be put out in the field... as soon as it gets dry enough to plant.  This year we be selling a wide variety of potted plants from the greenhouse: heirloom tomatoes, culinary and medicinal herbs, perennials, annual bedding plants, hanging baskets, mixed herb planters, and even some "living" wreaths.  We will be posting market dates and locations for April and May soon, and you are always welcome to stop by the farm and check out what is growing!
I decided to include a picture of the bees, so they would not feel left out.  We heard them out buzzing when the Willow trees were putting out pollen.  It is an amazing sound to walk out of the house and hear thousands of honeybees going to work, gathering tiny little grains of pollen to carry back to the hive.. trip after trip... all day long.  We all could learn a little about work ethic from watching the bees.  
On another note, we have some new Golden Buff chickens that are amazing layers!  We are getting about 18 eggs a day, and have plenty to sell at the farmstand to our friends and neighbors.  We will be getting 15 Plymouth Rock chickens at the beginning of the summer, and will be selling the eggs at the North Market on Saturdays.  Here is a picture of the chicken coop that Isaac built last fall.  He used the windows from his Grandmother Barnes' old brick house that was destroyed in a fire years back.  I don't know of any other chickens who have it this nice... what a view.
Our goats, Gilly and Honey are both pregnant and due in about 2 months.  Honey, who has always looked pregnant, appears that she may be having twins or triplets.  Gilly, who tries her best to compete with Honey for food, is actually putting on some weight and developing an udder.  We cannot wait for the baby goats to arrive... I believe they are the cutest farm animal around.  Here is a picture of Gilly from last fall.  She's always looking for someone to pick on.  
Bottom Three Photo credits:  Kenneth Lilly