Exit 157 Farm and Apiary

05/30/2026

Now here are some flowers you don't often see in our neck of the woods! Anyone care to take a guess at what we are growing here??

05/30/2026

These new hive stands looked so great, that I just had to snap a couple pics and share! That fresh cut local red cedar looks amazing, doesn't it! Shout-out to Tom Schwartz (who isn't on Facebook...but maybe someone can show him) and of course Amanda Schwent and Cedar Ridge Design for the signage. My ideas might get a bit crazy at times, but she always manages to figure them out. So cheers to everyone and have a great Saturday!

P.S. - What business out there wants bees? Chateau Ste. Genevieve you ready for yours?

05/29/2026

Good Friday to all you honey lovers! Just thought I would take a moment to introduce you to another native pollinator that I came across today.

As I was walking thru the blackberries earlier today, I noticed a small bee taking shelter amongst the leaves, as a light rain had stated. This one is known as a leafcutter bee. Similar to the mason bee I introduced a week or so ago, this one is also a solitary bee, who often occupies small holes. Rather than block their entrance with a mud mixture (mason), they will cut circles out of leaves and block off their holes. Both leafcutter and mason bees will also occupy our handmade mason bee homes...living side by side. Both make for incredible pollinators, and are a great addition to your garden and flower beds.

Anyways...hope all is well in your world!

Cheers,

Nick

05/26/2026

👀 Well this is fun! New products incoming! Anyone care to guess what we might be up to???

05/18/2026

Anyone out there have any experience with foraging mullein leaves and flowers? A handful of these popped up in one of our beds. We cut four and hung them to dry in the barn. 🤷‍♂️ We left the others and will harvest the flowers and infuse into oil, to be used in a salve of some kind (maybe). If anyone out there has experience with this plant, feel free to educate the rest of us out here!

Cheers!

05/18/2026

05/16/2026

Big shout out to the crew at County Home Center here in Bloomsdale! They delivered a big part of our new greenhouse this AM, even though it was not purchased thru them!

When the delivery showed up late Thursday afternoon, with no tools or equipment to unload, they allowed us to unload in their yard. Plus they did all the work! 😳 Today the delivery got a first class ride up 61 to its new home.

Thanks again!

05/16/2026

As a lot of you know, we've been working away, trying to construct a suitable greenhouse for our expanding line of locally grown plants and organic vegetables. In doing so, we've had some scrap materials lying around and decided to put some to use. We will now have "Mason Bee Houses" for purchase on our website.

Some of you are likely asking just what is a "mason bee"... and I'm glad you asked. There are many species of Mason bees here in Missouri, and they just so happen to be a great native pollinator. So if you wish to improve your pollination success in and around your garden, but do not have time for a honeybee hive, hang a mason bee house near your garden and give some of your native pollinators a place to setup home. Mason bees are studied to be 120 times more effective at pollination than your honeybees. They do not produce honey, but will make up for it in the pollination effort they put forth. Anyways...if you have more questions about Mason bees and would like to know more, please comment below!

Cheers from your local honey man!

P.S. - These will likely be made to order, so please be aware if you wish to place an immediate order. Thank you.

05/09/2026

When one of your best customers (at this point I may just call him an addict) asks for bees closer to where they live, you pack up some bees and deliver. Shout out to Shelton Landscape and Maintenance and your new bees! And to everyone else on the feed, this also means that we may have some honey available from further north than we typically do. So tell your friends in Arnold/South County area to be on the lookout for some of the finest liquid gold around! Cheers!

05/05/2026

Hello Honey Lovers! A friend of mine recently sent me this picture and figured I would share it!

Is this a bee???

Indeed it is! It is likely one of more than 200 "longhorn" bees, and is a known native pollinator here in Missouri. in fact there are almost 1000 species of "bees" in North America (North of Mexico).

P.S. - If there are any melittologists out there that could confirm this, please advise if I am wrong. 😂 🐝

https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/longhorn-bees