It all started with our first hive. My mentor at the time said that the way you ‘get’ bees was to catch them.

There was a call into the local bee group from someone saying there were bees in front of their house. My mentor texted us that this was our chance and we were on our way.

Jason and I drove over with a cardboard box. I was wearing my brand new white beekeeping suit. Jason grabbed a fleece to at least cover his arms.

We arrived and the hive was clustered at hip level in a bush. This would end up being the easiest swarm we would ever end up catching, but my heart was still racing as onlookers were watching from across the street.

‘Great’ I mumbled under my breath as cars slowed down wondering why someone was in there neighborhood wearing what looked to be a hazmat suit.

‘All We need to do is knock the whole cluster into the box. If the queen falls in, they will stay put.’ I told Jason as we got ready.

Jason found a stick and would do the quick thwap to the bush so the whole cluster would fall. He swiftly hit near the swarm and the cluster fell together like a deflated soccer ball. Bees started to fly and buzz around.

I quickly closed the box, leaving a small opening for those flying to have a way to return to their queen. We sat there for the next half a hour and the last of the bees made it in just around dusk. We had caught our first swarm and we were hooked.

After that first season of beekeeping we were able to harvest our first jar of honey. The Honey was so complex and flavors so rich it was almost as if vanilla had been added.

Honey quickly become my go to sweetener for teas, cooking and now our caramels.

This was the first season we have been offering our caramels. Recipes were tested all winter long and this summer we presented our final result. The response has been wonderful! It warms my heart to work with honey, help create habitats for pollinators and watch people experience a moment of joy and happiness... All through a simple bite of a caramel.

If you would like to try a sample stop by the Farmer's Market, we always have some on hand. You can also order a bag through our website and we will add it to your box for pickup.