Introducing the 2023 Queens

For those of you who love my “Bee Reports” — here’s the first of this season! Three of our queens and their hives successfully overwintered. We caught some swarms, split one of our hives, and bought some new nucs, so our hive boxes are once again full of buzzing bees. Below are my notes on the queens and hives who survived and the new ones we’ve adopted since I last posted an update.

#1 – Boudica III

Boudica III survived winter. Her genes are mean and supreme. She is the descendant of the original Boudica, who was also a strong queen. (Boudica I swarmed in the spring of 2022. She was lightning fast, and we were unable to catch her. Her and her feral descendants are hopefully off populating new wild and woolly Hereford hives.)

#2 – Elizabeth II

Also survived winter. Her hive hums along. Never the most bustling hive but a solid player in the honey production game.

#3 – Argine (a.k.a. the Queen of Clubs)

A new queen, taking over for Cleopatra, who unfortunately didn’t make it.

#4 – Deborah

Three cheers for you if you already knew that Deborah means “bee.” Deborah is also an alternative name for the medieval Irish saint, St Gobnait, who battled brigands by sending bees after them. She was the original Bee Whisperer. Deborah is taking up residence in Pandora’s old hive box.

#5 – Dottie

Most of my queens are named after strong women. I’ve been reading Geena Davis’ memoir, DYING OF POLITENESS, the tale of her “journey to badassery” for my book club. Debated naming this queen Geena but decided to go with one of her most iconic roles, Dottie from A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. She is in Aethelflaed the Undead’s hive box. Losing Aethelflaed was a bummer but with her history, her spirit might live on and she will embolden Dottie to become a super-producer.

#6 – Dahlia

Maybe I was stuck on “D” or maybe I just adore dahlias? The mildly named Dahlia supplants Buffy the Varroa Mite Slayer. She has some big shoes to fill!

#7 – Rebecca (a.k.a. Boudica II)

Elphaba, the queen whose name we crowd-source on Instagram, didn’t make it. Ugh. Losing hives is always hard – maybe more so when I name them? I’m sure other beekeepers think I’m bonkers. The Boudica line has strong swarm genes. Rebecca reigns over our most recently caught swarm. She swarmed (for the second time, see below) on my bestie and fellow beekeeper Rebecca’s bday and we put her in Elphaba’s old hive box.

Hives #8 and #9 are at Lisa Duff’s Oak Spring Farm

#8 – Clover (a.k.a. Boudica IV)

Clover’s hive box was first occupied by Tempest, who was a fantastic queen. But we lost her last summer. When Boudica II first swarmed, we caught her and took her to Lisa’s. She hung out there, successfully overwintered, and then swarmed again (because the Boudicas are overachievers). We caught her again, brought her back home to the Windtree Bee yard, and renamed her Rebecca to avoid confusion. Her Oak Spring Farm progeny is now named Clover, after one of honeybees’ favorite foods.

#9 – Meadow (a.k.a. Boudica V)

When we lost Gaia, the former queen of this box, Craig took some queen cells and nurse bees from box #8 and put them in this empty hive box. We’ve had mixed luck with “splits” (that’s what it’s called when beekeepers create a new hive that way), but this one was successful. I decided not to pressure the new queen with unrealistic expectations, so I named her after a small, beautiful place, instead of an entire belief system and the personification of the Earth itself. While I don’t think Gaia’s name had anything to do with her undoing (it was hive beetles), Meadow’s probably more chill knowing she doesn’t have the weight of the world riding on her shoulders.

Honorable Mention – Frankenstein

Frank is a garden, not a queen bee. Our bee yard is a rough square to one side of our house. Along the road is a split rail fence with cherry trees and pines. There’s an old shed in the corner and then a row of forsythia that we planted in memory of my mom. (She loved those flowering yellow spring bushes!) Then we’ve got a line of beehives hidden amongst some arborvitae. The last edge of the bee yard is bounded by our house and a little garden where we used to have only wildflowers. Every year it was an utter mess, but I loved it – and so did the bees and the butterflies.

We’ve lived in our house for nearly twenty years. Over that time, we’ve received lots of beautiful plants, bulb flowers, herb bushels, etc. None of them ever match anything else in our yard, so we plant all our cute little orphans in the Frankenstein Garden. Honestly, it’s one of our favorite parts of the yard. We installed some bird feeders and a bird bath, which the bees use more than the birds. It’s a work-in-progress, but also perfect just the way it is. 🙂

May 4, 2023

Hereford Farm Market: New Location + Opening Day!

This Saturday, May 6th, is Opening Day for the Hereford Farm Market! It’s in a new location this year, the Hereford High School, 17301 York Road, Parkton, Maryland. Same time — 9:00 a.m. to noon, May through November. You can find Craig and me (Windtree Bee) at the “Hats & Honey” table — look for our banner!

Before each market day, I try to post what we’re bringing. For Opening Day, we’ll have honey, honey-sweetened granola, berry jam, loose leaf chai tea blend (which tastes excellent with honey!), bedazzled Windtree Bee merch, and improved seed bombs.

What the heck are Seed Bombs?

Seed bombs are more warm and fuzzy than they sound (some people call them bee bombs or seed balls). They look like little meatballs and they contain tons of seeds. The idea is that you throw them wherever Mother Earth needs a little help with beautification — the neglected road median, a tree well with no tree, a patch of dirt. Originally, guerilla gardeners used them to “throw and grow.” While the idea of tossing these over your shoulder as you hike might be appealing, your best bet is to actually plant them. Choose a spot where the flowers will be welcome and will have a good chance of thriving. The bees will appreciate it!

What’s improved about the seed bombs?

More seeds! I added more “Bee Feed Mix” to them, lessened the amount of water I used, and am using quilt squares for the jar tops instead of canning lids. This should help make them more shelf stable — although I recommend planting ASAP because spring won’t last forever and the bees need food NOW! 🙂

“Happiness? The color of it must be spring green” — Frances Mayes

COME SEE US FOR OPENING DAY!! TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO COME TOO!

April 18, 2023

Earth Day Celebration this Saturday! + a brief bit about where I’ve been

We’re excited to see everyone again this season and found a perfect event to kick things off – Dejon Vineyards’ Earth Day Celebration.

Dejon Vineyard
Earth Day Celebration, April 22, noon to 5:00 pm
5300 Hydes Road
Hydes, Maryland

*bring your picnic blankets & camp chairs!

Dejon Vineyards is a family-owned and operated winery in Hydes, Maryland. (It’s near Boordy Vineyards and the Prigel Family Creamery; to the east of Loch Raven Reservoir.) Denise and her husband, John, renovated the original cattle barn and it’s now a “cool country-chic” tasting room.

Their Earth Day Celebration is this Saturday, April 22, from noon to 5:00 p.m. The event’s theme is Make It/Bake It/Grow It/Conserve It, which dovetails nicely with what Windtree Bee is all about. (For anyone new here, we sell home-harvested honey, homemade jams and preserves, and cottage bouquets made from pollinator-friendly blooms.) The folks from Ecotone (ecological restoration), Marshy Point Nature Center, and the Gunpower Conservancy will be there to discuss wetlands preservation and Maryland’s natural wildlife. Other educators, exhibitors, and vendors will also be there to share their skills.

Craig will be there to talk about honeybees and beekeeping. If you’re interested in beekeeping, or you want to learn about local honey, or if you’re an entomologist, biologist, teacher, scout leader, etc. – please come see us!!

There will be wagon rides, kids’ crafts, live music, and LOCAL WINE! 😊

There will also be HONEY — because we have honey to sell at the beginning of the season this year! (How did that happen?! Well, it’s not because we didn’t sell out last season — we did. It’s because we lost hives over the winter. Boo! But the silver lining is we had more honey than our current bees need, so we were able to harvest it.)

Other Things We’ll Have

Breakfast Berry Jam: Our most popular jam. I made three batches!

Honey Almond Granola: Crunchy, homemade, delicious. Sold in canning jars, so you can pour your milk right in there and eat it while you’re off to work or on a hike.

Loose Leaf Chai Tea Blend: New and improved for this season! I’m now using dried and sifted ginger instead of candied ginger; 100% Assam loose leaf tea instead of a miscellaneous blend; and star anise.

Seed Bombs: Originally a guerilla gardening tool, seed bombs are also a super fun, hands on way of spreading the word about the need for pollinator-friendly plants and flowers. (There’s a guy in Dorset who calls them Bee Bombs.) My bombs are a mix of “muck” (a nutrient-dense starter soil); shredded paper (so glad to have found a use for it, since Baltimore County doesn’t recycle shredded paper); a small amount of water; and pollinator-friendly seeds (non-GMO, non-neonic).

Bedazzled t-shirts: These are slightly modified Windtree Bee logo shirts that I’m going to bedazzle myself. (I learned to bedazzle at lightning speed during my younger daughter’s dance years. Every season, I had to gem multiple costumes in less than a week. When she graduated, I swore I wouldn’t miss it – but I kinda do!)

Scenes from my former life as a Dance Mom

These are our awesome designs for the new t-shirts.
I’ll post pics of the final bedazzled shirts later…

Where have I been?

For those of you wondering where I was all winter and why I didn’t post anything here… I was working down at Princeton Sports, the ski and bike shop off Falls Road (west of Lake Roland). McCulloughs are a four-season family and I love skiing as much as biking, so helping people get ready for their next outdoor adventure was a great fit for me! Princeton is a third-generation family business and the owners, customers, and my coworkers were super friendly and always fun to talk with. While I didn’t see as many people from the Hereford Zone as I used to see at the library, I enjoyed working down there and hope to return next year for their busy winter season (which conveniently starts just as Windtree Bee’s active season wraps up).

Me in Park City, Utah, earlier this year.

I’m looking forward to the 2023 farm market and festival season! I have some exciting news about the Hereford Farm Market, which I’ll post about soon … In the meantime, happy spring and hope to see you this Saturday for Earth Day!

December 2, 2022

Christmas Bazaar, Reindeer, and Hiking in the Highlands

Craig and I visited Scotland last month. We flew into Edinburgh, spent a couple of days there, and then took the train up into the highlands. They were magnificent! I really hope we can go back again someday.

Lots of people asked us, “Why Scotland?” We were asked if we had family there (no), if we planned on golfing (no), if we liked whisky (no), and if we planned on doing any Outlander tours (no). Friends pointed out that the weather there is often gloomy and rainy. The time of year we chose for our trip was also curious (fall, not summer). But I gotta say… it was AMAZING!! I feel so lucky to have been able to go. Part of the trip was a generous gift from my in-laws for our 25^th anniversary. And I can think of no better way for Craig and me to celebrate than to go trekking about in Alba. It’s a country that epitomizes our favorite vacation style – rugged days and cozy nights. If you are debating a trip to the U.K. anytime soon, I highly recommend!

Hillwalking

Hiking in the U.K. is often referred to as hillwalking. Although Scotland’s tallest mountain isn’t as tall as the shortest mountain in the Appalachians, hillwalking can still be risky, especially in bad weather. But we had great weather!! The days we spent hiking were sunny. And the shorter days meant that we reached the summit and/or lochs right at sunset.

The highland culture seems to fully embrace hillwalking. The Scots have a statutory “right to roam” (although it must be exercised responsibly) and the inn where we stayed regularly makes bagged lunches for guests to tuck into their daypacks. We grabbed ours, walked out the door, and just started walking. Not having to worry about driving to a trailhead felt gloriously liberating.

Reindeer

The Cairngorm Mountains have a herd of free-ranging reindeer. After one of our walks, we serendipitously stumbled into their Glenmore visitor center, a little paddock up by Loch Morlich. The enclosed area is kind of like a reindeer spa. The reindeer take turns coming down from the mountains for health evals and a bit of pampering.

If your child asks what to leave for the reindeer on Christmas Eve…

They don’t eat carrots or celery. Too bad since those things are easier to get than what they do eat: heather, sedges, lichens, blaeberry, and birch. Maybe offer them some regular ole blueberries and see if they’re gone on Christmas morning. 😉

Drambuie

We tried lots of whisky, but I preferred Scotland’s craft beers. I also enjoyed Drambuie, which you can get here in the States. Drambuie is whisky blended with honey, herbs, and spices. Since I know where to get delicious, local honey, I may experiment with making a DIY version of Drambuie this winter.

Is Drambuie French or Scottish?

Ah… it’s complicated. I asked a couple people this question and the answer depends on how you interpret its origin story, which may just be a bit of fanciful brand marketing. In any case, the story goes that, after the Battle of Culloden, Bonnie Prince Charlie fled to the isle of Skye. As a thank you for sheltering him, he gave his prized French elixir recipe to an officer there. Its name is supposedly derived from the Scots Gaelic An Dram Buidheach, which means “the drink that satisfies.” Indeed, it does! 😀

Christmas Bazaar

We’re doing one more event this year – a Christmas Bazaar down at the Federal Armored Museum this Sunday, December 4th, from 1-3 pm. Santa will be there! Admission is free. Bring the kids, get a pic with Santa, and do some Christmas shopping. This will be the last time you can stock up on honey and homemade jam before winter! I have a couple of bee & honeycomb suncatchers left. They make excellent, one-of-a-kind gifts. Our honey & jam is the perfect hostess/thank you/holiday gift. You probably know an awesome teacher, coach, neighbor, friend, or family member who would love a jar. Or just treat yourself! 🙂

St Gobnait, Patron Saint of Bees and Beekeepers

Looking ahead to winter…

Craig and I are returning to the Hereford Farm Market next year. In the meantime, I’ll post periodic updates here. Winter is a great time for hiking, skiing, and reading!

WISHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!!

November 9, 2022

Fermentation Class + NYC Parks

Just before Halloween, I took a fermentation class down at the Baltimore Chef Shop. It was awesome! I’ve taken other classes there and love the vibe of their workspace and teaching areas. Their instructors are super friendly and full of know-how. Class sizes are small too, so you can ask lots of questions and chat with fellow students.

Our instructor was Flynn Harne and his enthusiasm for All Things Fermentation was contagious. Other folks in the class included a woman whose dog was nursed back to health using fermented goat’s milk after gut surgery, a professional baker, and other frequent water-bath canners like me who wanted to cross-train in the art & science of food preservation.

Mak Kimchi, Dill Pickles, and Basic Sauerkraut

We made three of the most popular veggie ferments and then sampled some of the many ferments that Flynn brought to class. All-in-all, a great time! If you are interested in Fermentation 101 or other Baltimore Chef Shop classes (they have an upcoming Bûche de Nöel class that looks amazing!) check out their schedule here.

And, for anyone heading to the Big Apple… Here’s my quick take on five NYC parks!

Last weekend was Family Weekend at my daughter’s school. Because she’s a nature-loving urbanite, she took us on a whirlwind tour of her favorite outdoor places.

Madison Square Park

This is a cute little park northeast of the Flatiron Building. It was the original site of Madison Square Gardens and the very first Westminster Dog Show, which makes its current dog park historically apropos.

The High Line

A rail trail, but not one you can ride on. This wonderful park is in Chelsea on a mile and a half of abandoned track that was repurposed as urban greenspace. I’ve walked along the High Line twice now and each time I’ve been thrilled to see little pollinators buzzing happily in the gardens.

Washington Square Park

The park’s most notable feature is its ginormous arch, which was built to commemorate the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration. It’s also the same arch that was featured on the cover of, and in the story of, The Golem and the Jinni. I was told, that if you’re an NYU student, you shouldn’t pass through the arch until you graduate… or you won’t. So, of course, my whole family passed through posthaste. If there’s some sort of dire warning about what happens to non-NYU students who pass through, don’t tell me!

Washington Square Arch and Helene Wecker’s 2013 novel.

Hudson River Park

A 4 1/2 mile waterfront promenade with various piers that have been redeveloped for recreational use. (It’s part of the larger Manhattan Waterfront Greenway, a 32 mile walking/cycling path.) You can pretty much find whatever sports & leisure activity you might be into here: tennis, volleyball, skateboarding, rock climbing, outdoor yoga, sunbathing, etc. We just strolled and enjoyed the view. 🙂

Central Park

The most famous park in NYC… and maybe the world?? It seems both crazily small and enormously large at the same time. When I look at maps of NYC, I can’t wrap my head around all that concrete. And there, in the middle of it all, is this speck of green. Yellowstone National Park is over 2,200,000 acres while Central Park is a mere 843. It doesn’t seem like it would be enough green space for everyone. And yet…

I’ve been to Central Park at least a handful of times and I’ve still not seen it all. Partly, that’s because I’m always walking (not biking) and I’m usually rushing to fit in other stuff (like the four other parks we visited). But it’s also because Central Park is legit BIG.

This time, we took the subway up and entered the park near the Museum of Natural History. We wandered around the Great Lawn for a bit, learned about Seneca Village, and then made our way over to the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. Next time, we’re renting bikes!!

October 28, 2022

End of Season Sale: Suncatchers 20% off!

Our stained glass, one-of-a-kind, artisan suncatchers are 20% off!

I’m offering 20% off my remaining suncatchers this Saturday at Hereford Farm Market. We have maybe a half-dozen or so of them left. Each one is handmade by my niece and nephew’s grandmother, Mary Nolan. No two are alike. There are suncatchers with bee charms, honeybees made of glass, and guardian angels. I often refer to the angel as St. Gobnait, who was the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. They make an excellent, thoughtful, unique hostess or holiday gift for nature lovers and gardeners!

The market season is winding down…

This Saturday is the last day we’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market this year. It’s been a terrific season!! Thank you to each and every one of you who came to the market and supported us and the bees! I have a handful of jars left of most everything I brought last week: wildflower honey, mulled cider jelly, pumpkin-pie spiced pear jam, honey-maple cranberry sauce, smoky chipotle berry jam, and loose leaf chai tea. I’ll also be selling Mandi’s adorable knit pumpkins and pumpkin hats.

It’s been an amazing biking season too!

I’ve been biking since March, trying to reach my mileage goal for this year. This week, I finally did — 1,000+ miles for 2022!! Most of those miles were logged on the NCR/Heritage Rail Trail, but I did a few organized rides too. Next week, I’ll take my bike down to the shop for a much needed tune up. 🙂

The Heritage Trail up near Seven Valleys, the Howard Tunnel, and an apropos pic of my bike on Home Road on my last day of biking this year.

Happy Halloween!!

After tomorrow, we hope to do one final event this year — a Christmas Bazaar down at the Federal Armored Museum on December 4th. I’ll keep everyone posted on that. In the meantime, we wish everyone a safe and wonderful Halloween and an amazing, gratitude-filled Thanksgiving! WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND YOUR SUPPORT!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Our honey, hives, and a Kindness Rocks message Craig and I found on the trail

We’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market, 17004 York Road, in Parkton, Maryland, from 9:00 a.m. until noon this Saturday. Look for us at the “Hats & Honey” table beside The Contented Rooster.

October 21, 2022

Oak Spring Farm Chili Feast

Tomorrow, we’ll be at our regular market — Hereford Farm Market — from 9:00 a.m. to noon. And then on Sunday, we’re vending at Oak Spring Farm’s Chili Feast. For anyone who hasn’t yet heard of Oak Spring, it’s an organic CSA farm in north Baltimore County run by Lisa Duff. She and her farm are awesome! We’ve been CSA members for years. We also keep a few hives over there. You can find us there on Sunday from 2:00-6:00 p.m. NON-CSA MEMBERS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND!

From Lisa’s Facebook events page:

Let's celebrate YOU, our amazing CSA Members who helped us make this season an absolute success, with a chili feast and potluck!

SUNDAY, October 23rd, 2022 from 2pm - 6pm

We will provide two BIG pots of chili - one meat based and the other suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Please bring a dish to share, whether it is more chili, a chili-friendly side like cornbread, chips, or crackers, or other toppings like sour cream, cheese, fritos, etc. You're also welcome to bring dessert, drinks, and of course BYOB. Anything is welcome, and we encourage you to use as local and sustainable as possible!

There will be LIVE MUSIC, family friendly GAMES, and a RAFFLE for CSA members to win $100 off of their 2023 Season CSA Share!

Bring your picnic blankets, chairs, family, friends, dogs, and good spirit. We can't wait to see you.

***Non-CSA members are absolutely welcome to come!!***

What are we bringing this weekend?

We still have a few jars of honey left, but they are going fast. I also still have little 4 oz jars of mulled cider jelly left, some spiced pear jam, and — new for this week!! — HONEY MAPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE, SMOKY CHIPOTLE BERRY JAM, and OUR LOOSE LEAF CHAI TEA BLEND.

The cranberry sauce recipe I use is THE BEST. It’s a whole cranberry sauce with a smooth texture. Sweetened with my two favorite natural sweeteners, honey & maple syrup, and seasoned with cinnamon and a pinch of lemon zest, it is sublime!! Makes a perfect hostess gift for the holidays!

The smoky chipotle berry jam is a traditional blackberry jam with a hint of chipotle chili powder. It turns my ever-popular berry jam into a specialty spread that is perfect for turkey sandwiches, grown-up grilled cheese, or as an addition to your weekend charcuterie tray. This jam would pair excellently with gouda, goat cheese, or Brie. I’m offering it in little 4 oz jars — a perfect size for sampling.

My loose leaf chai tea blend is back on the menu too! Just in time for cooler weather! Stock up!! (My favorite way to sweeten it is to use honey, of course, but maple syrup works wonderfully too.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope to see you soon!

October 14, 2022

Hereford Fall Fest is this weekend!

The weather looks great! Mandi and I will be there with expanded offerings. I’m bringing honey, caramel apple coffee jam, mulled cider jelly, pumpkin pie spiced pear drizzle, chewy almond granola with currants & coconut, and HONEY!! Mandi is bringing hand-knit pumpkins, pumpkin beanies, sushi scarves, and felted GNOMES!!

We’ve been vending at Hereford Fall Fest for years and it’s always a blast. There’s food trucks, beer & wine. There are hay wagons, ponies, helicopter rides, and a mechanical bull. ATM on site. Bring your dog! For more info, click here. It’s Sat from 10-6 and Sun from 10-5.

CHEWY ALMOND GRANOLA WITH CURRANTS & COCONUT

The recipe I used for this weekend’s granola batch was adapted from the Countess of Carnarvon’s recipe for “Good-for-you Granola” in SEASONS AT HIGHCLERE: Gardening, growing, and cooking through the year at THE REAL DOWNTON ABBEY. What’s different? I used whole almonds, eliminated the chia seeds, and my berry of choice was the aforementioned currants. It’s chewier than the batches I’ve made and sold before but — I gotta say — absolutely delish!!

Speaking of gnomes… White Hall has one of the best collections of garden gnomes in this area. One of the homeowners along the Torrey C. Brown rail trail (the NCR) has created an amazing community of gnomes. Check it out for yourself! Park at the White Hall parking lot and go about a mile north.

Where have we been?

We weren’t able to make it to the Hereford Farm Market for the past couple weekends because we’ve been celebrating and waxing nostalgic about the good ole days.

Craig and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We met at Penn State and our older daughter goes there now, so we met some of our college friends up there for the Penn State Northwestern game. It was RAINY!!!! Of course, we’re used to that kind of tailgating in State College. (We’re used to hanging out in the rain under a tent in Hereford too. Hahaha.)

I also went back to Pittsburgh for my 35th high school reunion. Was fun seeing people I haven’t seen in years, but one of the biggest highlights was taking a mushroom hike with the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club (my bestie that I grew up with is a member).

Craig’s also been getting the bees ready for winter

This year, we’re doing what we did last year because it seemed to work well. Fall means a hat trick of hive prep: varroa treatment, feeding, and insulating. Treating for varroa is always done after we harvest. It’s a pain but necessary. Feeding just means trying to make sure the bees have enough food to overwinter. We leave honey in the hives, so Craig evens that out. If some hives have a lot left and some don’t, he’ll take some from the strong hive and give it to the weak. Fall is the time when beekeepers can also supplement with sugar water, although we try to keep that to a minimum. For insulation, Craig builds a little winter wrap for each hive out of foam board.

NOW is the time to start winter prayers for Boudica II, Æthelflæd, Buffy the Varroa Mite Slayer, and all the rest!

Late Fall Garden: Flowers were left for the pollinators but will be cleared soon.

Where we’ll be for the remainder of the season

October 14th & 15th – Hereford Fall Fest
October 22nd – Hereford Farm Market
October 23rd – Oak Spring Farm Chili Feast
October 29th – Hereford Farm Market
December 4th – Christmas Bazaar at the Federal Armored Museum

Come see us this weekend! You know you want a pumpkin that won’t rot!!

September 22, 2022

Biking, Monarchs, and Gingerbread-Spiced Pear Drizzle

We’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market Saturday, September 24th, from 9:00 a.m. to noon. This week’s batch is gingerbread-spiced pear drizzle. It is pure pear awesomeness — little bits of cooked pears in a cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice syrup offered in tiny 4 oz jars. Perfect for drizzling on ice cream, yogurt, pancakes, French toast… or add it to a cheese board… or use it in a grown-up grilled cheese with baguette and brie.

I also tried to make a fig and pear jam that sounded absolutely delicious. It was a disaster. It’s the second time I’ve had bad luck trying to make a fig jam. The first time was with dried figs, these were fresh. Maybe third time’s the charm? We’ll see… It will be a while before I try again. Why am I telling you about my epic fails? Because (1) everyone makes mistakes; and (2) sometimes epic fails make for good stories. The fig fails were kind of boring, but click here if you want to read about a cherry fail and how I almost got arrested for bootlegging. 😉

Fall Biking

I’m still chasing my goal of 1,000 miles this season. Current mileage? 760 miles. I do a lot of riding on the NCR and Heritage Rail Trails, but I’ve also participated in a few organized rides this season. Last Sunday, I did the Yellow Breeches Ramble and the Kings Gap Climb as part of Harrisburg’s Bicycle Club’s Three Creek Century Ride. It was terrific! Beautiful routes, friendly SAG support (thankfully not needed, but their presence was appreciated), and an incredibly brutal 4-mile uphill slog (at least I thought it was brutal — hahaha — more experienced riders were blowing past me on the regular) to the Kings Gap Environmental Educational Center. But sooooo worth it! Gorgeous views and an incredible ride back down!!

Monarch sightings

I’ve spotted six so far this season (not a lot, frankly), most while biking, but one in our garden earlier this evening. Craig and I want to plant milkweed next year and truly give them a place of R&R in our yard. How about you? Any monarch sightings this year?

We’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market, 17004 York Road, in Parkton, Maryland, from 9:00 a.m. until noon this Saturday. Look for us at the “Hats & Honey” table beside The Contented Rooster.

September 16, 2022

Pumpkin Spice + Apples = Fall

Come see us tomorrow at the Hereford Farm Market! We’ll have pumpkin pie spiced applesauce, autumn apples studded with raisins & cherries (perfect for oatmeal, ice cream, French toast, or to add to homemade stuffing), and one pound jars of our 2022 honey. We’ll also have cottage bouquets and our artisan stained glass suncatchers. Look for us at the “Hats & Honey” table across from The Contented Rooster. Hope to see you there! 🙂