Springtime at Honeyrun Farm

It's finally Spring! The winter has been fun and relaxing, and we are gearing up for another great season of honey, flowers, produce, soap, and farmer's markets. The bees are making their way out of the hives, trying to find pollen and nectar. I saw this little bee on a crocus last week, and Isaac mentioned that today he saw a lot of bees carrying the biggest pollen sacs on their legs that he had ever seen. Out of 80 hives, we have lost about 20 so far, which is a very good survival rate compared to other area beekeepers we have talked to.Becky and I started planting in the greenhouse on March 15th. The plants had one cold night as the heater quit working, but they survived and are growing well with this warm weather. As you can see we have some herbs (sage, rosemary, lemon verbena) started by plugs that are already coming along nicely. We are also trying some new organic controls for the aphids that usually turn up in our greenhouse. I am buying 5,000 ladybugs and releasing them inside the greenhouse, since they love to snack on aphids. We've heard other farmers have done this with great success.
Here's a new crop for 2010: Broccoli! I love the way broccoli sprouts look. And although I don't have a great camera or photography skills, I still attempted to do some justice to these beautiful little broccoli plants. Becky decided to grow these especially for her CSA customers. The rest of us might get some if we're lucky.
And here is one of the first little tomatoes that sprouted. So cute. It's hard to believe the bounty this one little plant will eventually provide. I am so ready for tomatoes and basil. Aren't you?
And finally... a picture of one of my little greenhouse "helpers." Maizy has done pretty well out in the greenhouse this year, keeping herself busy by crawling around the dirty ground, finding sticks to put in her mouth, and tugging at my legs. Mason likes to play with his dump truck on the dirt mound out back. It certainly has been a challenge this year with two mobile children... but the work is getting done and we are all enjoying it.
Our first market this year will be April 17 at Earth Gathering in Chillicothe. More info on this will follow!

Even Bees Get Cabin Fever

Everyone asks us, "What do your bees do in the winter?" The answer is, not much at all. They just kind of huddle up and try to stay warm. The temperature inside a beehive can stay pretty warm , due to the heat generated by the bees. They crowd around the queen and try to keep her warm. They also eat the honey they have stored up (the honey we didn't steal from them).

Today I walked outside to get some pictures of the hives covered by snow. It was a beautiful sunny day, even though temperature was still only hovering above freezing. I did not expect to see these bees buzzing around outside their hives! Some of them seemed a bit confused about the snow. I guess bees can get cabin fever, too.

And here is a picture of our 'honey house' near completion. Isaac has been working hard this winter; building frames for future hives, preparing pollen patties to feed the bees, and working on the interior of the honey house. There is a lot left to do, as we still need to install all the extracting and bottling equipment that is currently in storage. Hopefully it will completed in time to use it this summer!

When you are married to a beekeeper, you never know what you might stumble upon when you open the door to your freezer. Just the other day, I found a dead bee. Apparently, Isaac was saving it to show to the bee club (it is a queen bee). The freezer seemed like the best place to preserve it, of course.

Becky has started planting today, and is seeding her leeks that will grow for several weeks in flats in the sunroom, until we fire up the heater in the greenhouse in mid-March. The smell of the potting mix really brought back memories of Spring. It gives us something to look forward to. But for now... I am going to enjoy the snow, just as our bees are doing.

Wittenberg Magazine features Honeyrun Farm

Wittenberg University (our alma mater) has featured Honeyrun Farm in their December magazine! Find the link to the article and view a video about our farm here. We really appreciate the time that Wittenberg put in to this story and video! Isaac, Becky, and I all have fond memories of our time spent there, and although none of us really studied agriculture while at Witt, our respective areas of study helped prepare us in our roles at Honeyrun Farm.

Buy local this Christmas!

Looking for some great local gifts this Holiday Season? Come check out the North Market Holiday Open House, Saturday 8-5 and Sunday 12-5. I will be there selling our pure honey, herbal infused honey, soap, lip balm, lotion sticks, homegrown herbal teas and spice mixes, beeswax candles, and handcrafted gourds. There are a lot of other great events going on including music and free samples from merchants. Come find me in the upper level of the market, with all the other great artisans.

Scheduled Holiday Open House Activities include:

Saturday, December 5

* 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., North Market merchants and Craft Extravaganza vendors open

* 8 a.m. - 12 p.m., Christmas tree sales on the farmers' market plaza with Seibel Trees and Rhoads Farm Market

* 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., holiday music by Willie Phoenix

* 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., roasted chestnuts and pretzels sold in the farmers' market plaza

* 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., holiday music by Suite Strings

* 1 - 3 p.m., holiday music by Miss Molly

* 1 - 3 p.m., Joyunspeakable, the living statue as the Nutcracker Toy Soldier

* 3 - 5 p.m., holiday music by the Eileen Howard Jazz Trio

For more info visit: http://www.northmarket.com/activities-and-events/2009-12-05/holiday-open-house-and-craft-extravaganza

Hope to see you there!

Honeyrun Farm CSA being offered in 2010

Honeyrun Farm is now offering a CSA! For those of you who aren't familiar with the term CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Participants are able to buy a share of the produce from the farm for an annual fee, and in exchange receive a weekly bag of fresh seasonal produce. This way, the consumer is able to share in the bounty of harvest, while also weathering the seasonal fluctuations of availability with the farmer. After receiving numerous requests to start a CSA, Becky has decided to offer this to the first 20 participants in 2010. Here is a quick outline of the program:

*Program runs June 12- October 23 (20 weeks)

*Pick up available at Pearl, Clintonville, and Worthington markets

*Cost for 20 weeks is $400, paid by February 1, 2010

Here are some examples of the vegetables that will be offered through the CSA:

Heirloom tomatoes

Bell, Specialty, and Hot Peppers

Fingerling Potatoes

Fresh Herbs

Winter & Summer Squash

Candy Onions

Root Vegetables - Carrots, Beets, Turnips, Radishes

Lettuce

Tomatilloes

Husk Cherries

Brussel Sprouts

Parsnips

Braising Greens

Asian Greens

Zucchini

Cucumber

Eggplant

Garlic

Beans

Questions about the CSA? Email Becky Barnes at honeyrun.produce@gmail.com.

Here's a picture from a 2008 Spring market... Mason was just 4 months old here! Time has flown by. It has been a fun and exciting journey.